Inside My Head

by Lingual_Arrow

Summary:

Unsure when alive or dead
while lost in the drowning red
pained is my soul
my demons crawl
Welcome to the nightmare inside my head
~~

Even the strongest people have their limits. After years of relentless suffering and abuse; Izuku finally hits his. The result is a violent psychotic break that leads to him attacking his school. He just wanted the pain to stop, and did the only thing his broken mind thought he could.
Eraserhead, one of the heroes responding to the scene, can see this was a kid that has been tortured and pushed too far for something that isn't his fault. The hero doesn't want to see Izuku's life end here.
He and many others resolve to help the boy on his path to recovery and see to it he gets the justice he deserves. And just maybe, Izuku's dream of becoming a hero can be achieved too.

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! Welcome to my fic!
I hope you enjoy it :)

Please mind the tags of this fic. This is going to get dark and will be graphic. I don't want to cause anyone any unnecessary stress or anxiety, really I don't. That said, if there are any tags that need to be added, please let me know in the comments!

Also if you like my writing, feel free to check out my other fic "Let the Games Begin".

Thanks!
>>--> Arrow

Chapter 1: The Pain in My Soul

Notes:

Now with cover art!
Special thanks to Plantah from my Nerd Squad discord server!! You're awesome my dude!

Go check her out! @PlantahDraws

EDIT: More art added, thanks Plantah!

Edited 05/22/2025

Image by @PlantahDraws 

 

There's so much red. 

 

That is the first thing on Izuku's mind when reality comes fully back into focus. 

There's so much red. The color is painted across himself and the room he sits in the corner of. 

It's all over his hands, his hands that don't have scrapes and bruises on them. It's all over his clothes, his clothes that aren't dirt covered or scorched. It's on his face, his face that lacks tear tracks  It's in his hair, his hair that's just as curly and messy as always. 

Red always was his favorite color. 

Absently, Izuku wonders how he got to this point. 

He arrived to school to his desk having been written on with marker all over, insults and taunts in bold letters like always. There was a spider lily on his desk, in fairly good condition this time too. 

Izuku cleaned off the marker that wasn't his fault, and removed the spider lily that wasn't necessary. He's not dead after all, no matter how much anyone wishes it. Izuku is still here. 

Classes droned on for an hour or two, then lunch came around. He went to his locker, just like always. Then the usual bullies, Kacchan and his lackeys, surrounded him. And he once again wished to himself that it would all stop. That all the hurting would stop...

~But you can make it stop.~ 

That's what happened. He made the hurting stop. Just like he promised. 

Before the first hit could land, Izuku jumped back with reflexes he didn't know he had. Things started getting fuzzy and floaty in his head; the good fuzzy and floaty though; the one that always gives him a break from the pain. 

Thus while floating through the static that overcame his mind Izuku felt like he was merely watching. Watching as he pulled the scalpel from his pocket and slashed at the one boy's hand. The sharp scalpel Izuku found in one of his mother's medical kits she brought home from work and forgot about. The one Izuku uses to tend to his wounds every day. 

He cuts the hands of boy with the extendable fingers that are weaker directly between one joint and the next, because extending them thins out the bones too much. Then red, a vibrant crimson color spattered Izuku's hand and shirt and the floor as he went after the boy's other hand. Aim for the weakness, make them hurt, make them hurt, make it stop, make it stop.  

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." Izuku mumbles out, voice sounding far away to his own ears. "It hurts. Make it stop." 

That becomes his chant, his mantra, his drive. This is to make the hurting stop. They hurt him, left him in pain day after day. Gave him reason after reason to despair. 

~Now it's their turn.~ The voice says, ~Let them feel what we felt. Use what we've suffered through against them.~ 

So Izuku's body does just that, with strength Izuku didn't think he had he shoves the not already bleeding boy backwards into the already gathering crowd of students. He's a chubby kid, always the slowest when they chase Izuku, and he tumbles and rolls just like his shape suggests. He can turn his hair into rocks, rock he flings and throws at Izuku. Hurting him. Causing him pain. 

But he has a plan for that. That's what the gun is for. The gun Izuku brought in his bag today. No one saw it because no one bothers checking useless Deku's bag at the front entrance. 

~Their own fault for ignoring us.~ The voice hisses, ~for ignoring our suffering and pain.~

And with a pull of the trigger, with aim Izuku doesn't think he should have, he fires the gun. He hits the boy in the chest twice causing him to jerk and cry out in pain. More red splatters the floor and flecks up onto the gun outstretched in Izuku's hand. The boy doesn't get up. 

No rocks are thrown. No more pain is felt. "Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." Izuku's mumbling start up again, "No more. No more hurting." 

Distantly Izuku hears the other students panicking and fleeing. There's screaming and the pounding of feet. But for once he's not the one running, he's not the one crying out. So right now, floating in the fuzzy haze of his mind, Izuku can't bring himself to care. 

Izuku hears Kacchan swear (~Bakugo~, the voice corrects in his head, ~he's not your friend. Never really was.~). Not that him swearing is anything new, he swears all the time. 

Kacchan (~Bakugo~) swears just like Auntie Mitsuki, where Izuku got the gun from. Izuku took it from the arms safe in their basement. She didn't know he knew the code, she certainly didn't give Izuku the gun. But he needed it, so Izuku took it. He needed it to stop the hurting. Izuku was sure to leave a note that said he stole it without her knowledge, to keep Auntie Mitsuki out of trouble. 

Izuku fully faces Kacchan (~Bakugo~) and takes in the shocked look on his face. In one hand Izuku holds the scalpel, covered in red, and in the other Izuku clutches the gun, covered in red. 

Then Bakugo tries to lunge at him. That's right, Kacchan is going to be a hero, so he has to try and save people. That's what he must be doing. But Bakugo isn't the type of hero that helps or saves Izuku, no, he's a different kind of hero. 

~We can deal with him too,~ the voice calls, ~He's not as invincible as he thinks he is. No one is.~ 

So Izuku handles Bakugo too, he shoots him in the shoulder to stop him from swinging with that leading right hook he always uses. Then when Bakugo falls and holds his hands up to defend himself (himself, never useless Deku), he slashes across his palms. The explosions come from his palms. Dilute the nitroglycerine with blood, leave open wounds that would hurt when explosions are made. 

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." Izuku chants once more, more confidence in his tone as he sheds more blood, "Make it stop. No more hurting. No more." 

Kacchan cries out in pain, swearing as red, crimson, blood splatters all over the both of them. What a role reversal! This time it's Bakugo on the ground, Bakugo is in pain this time. It's not Izuku who is suffering. He's not burning or bleeding or aching. 

Izuku leaves him there. It's not a very hero like thing to do, to just leave someone bleeding and suffering while you turn your back. But Izuku isn't going to be a hero. He can't be, he's just useless, worthless, quirkless Deku. Everyone makes sure he knows that, and of course, he knows too. 

After loading a new cartridge from his bag, Izuku walks his way down the hall to his classroom, where his teacher is probably eating lunch. Yes, in the room where Izuku serves detention for things he didn't do. Where he is taunted and mocked and picked on and hated. And it's all under the watchful eyes of the man he's forced to call a teacher. 

Said teacher's eyes widen in something akin to terror as Izuku walks in, scalpel held in one hand, covered in red, gun clutched in the other, covered in red. 

~Let him be the one who is afraid.~ The voice urges him on, ~he gets to be the victim this time.~ 

So Izuku listens, after all the he has made the others stop hurting him so far. And Izuku can't leave the task unfinished. 

The teacher stands and goes to grab Izuku. He slashes at him wielding the scalpel with speed and skill Izuku never possessed. 

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." Izuku orders, "Leave me alone. I didn't do anything. Make it stop hurting." 

 

The teacher falls backwards as blood paints the desk and rolling chair, the graded papers and the chalk board behind him. He then shoots him, just once, in the head, just to be safe. The man's head jerks then falls forward to slouch with the rest of him. 

For once it's not Izuku with his head down. For once it's not Izuku who's vulnerable yet with nowhere to hide, no way to run.

Behind him in the rest of the classroom; there's more screaming and shouting, more commotion and flustering. Izuku turns on them. He's not allowed to make this much noise in the classroom. Why should they? The teacher isn't there to encourage them anymore. Don't they know they need to stop? 

 

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." Izuku says, raising the gun as he does so, "Make it stop, you never listen, no more, no more." 

And he opens fire on the room, emptying out the remaining rounds of the gun. 

 

Then, it all falls silent. No one speaks, no one moves. Save for Izuku who trembles steadily in place. Then the ringing in his ears picks up and the floaty and fuzzy feeling fades and he sees so much red. 

Dazed, confused, and red; Izuku now sits in the corner of the room. 

As reality now focuses, Izuku sees what he has done. And now he's panicking. 

When Izuku agreed to let him stop the hurting he didn't think it would involve killing. He didn't mean to. It was him. It was him.

Izuku's next thought is to join them, to take the scalpel to his wrists and throat and end it all here. Like everyone always tells him he should. 

However the mere thought of killing himself sends a sharp excruciating pain through his head. There's something in his very being that rejects the idea. The fuzzy and floaty feeling starts to take over his brain again. 

~No, must survive. Must stay alive.~ The voice insists. 

So Izuku scraps that idea. And that's when Izuku realizes, as the pain in his head subsides once he has resolved not to end his life, that he isn't in any other pain. Izuku's sitting in school and he's not in pain. He made it stop. No more hurting. It stopped, it stopped, it stopped. 

 

And even while covered in so so much red, Izuku was content to sit there; stuck inside his head. 

---

---

Eraserhead arrives at the scene to absolute chaos. There are multiple ambulances parked outside the established police perimeter, red and blue lights clashing against the yellow and black of the police tape. 

Typically the underground hero wouldn't be called into mission in broad daylight, however this was a special case. Despite the gathering of people outside the tape, they wanted to keep this case as quite as possible. With discretion being the goal, Eraserhead wasn't surprised he was being called in.  

He was called straight from UA however, pulled out of classes and given the go ahead by Nedzu to take today and even tomorrow off to see to it all. 

Something in Naomasa's voice when he told Shouta that he was on route to a school under assault lock down tells him there's more to it than what he was told. 

As the tired hero approaches the perimeter he takes in the madness that is on the other side of the line. 

Kids being corralled into class groupings and counted, those injured being tended to. The principle, a bloated, middle aged man, is talking with Officer Tamakawa and one of Tsukauchi's fellow detectives. Off to the side there's a strike team suiting up should the worse case scenario of them needing to intervene arise. 

Eraserhead will do whatever it takes to keep that crew of men out of this. He can promise you that. 

The pro hero chooses to outright ignore the officer that tries to stop him when he crosses the line. When the man starts shouting and begins to make chase he simply stops, flashes his hero license (effectively making a fool of the young man given his unseemly display) and continues on. 

Finally he reaches a gathered group of officers, a local hero, Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa, and of all people, Hawks. 

What the actual hell is Hawks doing here? Eraserhead thought they were trying to be discrete. Involving the number three hero is anything but. 

 

"Ah, Eraserhead, you're here." Tsukauchi greets him. 

"Straight from UA, as requested." Eraserhead replies evenly. 

"I'm glad you're here Eraserhead." Hawks says in way of welcoming him to the shit show, "if there's anyone I trust with this it's you." 

What's that supposed to mean? 

 

"What do we know about the assault then?" Eraserhead asks, getting straight to the point. 

"A lot more than is typical." Tsukauchi answers, "There's one attacker, armed with a fire arm and a bladed instrument. One of the adults who witnessed the initial attack speculated a scalpel of some sort. We know his name, and that he is one of the students of the school. And that he's quirkless." 

Eraserhead and Hawks both grimace. The statistics around the quirkless of today's society speak for themselves. This kid has had it rough no doubt. 

"I was approached by the school guidance councilor about the boy's identity, she said his name is Midoriya Izuku. She also shared with me that he has been bullied heavily for many years," again, not too surprising, "and she gave me some 'advice', which I quote 'Don't listen to what the other faculty try to tell you. They did nothing to stop it, if not encourage it.' Which all registered as true according to my quirk." The detective explains. 

 

"So we have a young boy who was bullied relentlessly for years, and finally snapped. And as a result we have a school shooting with just over a dozen injuries and two already reported dead. And that's before we have even entered the building." Hawks breaks down.

"Sounds to me like we have a case of a psychotic break. The kid simply couldn't take it any longer I image." Eraserhead comments. 

And doesn't that say it all about today's society? A kid pushed to an extreme like this over something he can't control that shouldn't even matter in the first place.
Damn, does he want to save this kid. From not only himself, but from the wrath of society that will no doubt be brought down upon him. 

"I'm going in." Aizawa declares, making up his mind.  

"You sure Eraser?" Detective Tsukauchi asks. 

The erasure hero nods, "I am. I don't want this kid hurt. He's just as much of a victim as the ones he attacked. And if this is a result of aggressive bullying, answering with more aggression and violence may simply escalate the situation further." He justifies. 

"This kid attacked his classmates and teachers, he's shot and assaulted them with a knife. And you're more concerned with him than the rest of the school?" one of the other officers in the group demands. 

While the others give the officer unimpressed looks, Aizawa doesn't bother suppressing his furious glare, "No, that's not it exactly. What I'm saying is I'm just as concerned about the threat he poses to himself as the one he poses to others. Don't forget most of these types of attacks end with the attacker taking their own life. And I don't want to see another kid die over something that ultimately isn't his fault." He tells him. 

Hawks nods in agreement, "At this point we can only speculate what he has been subject to over the years. And I'm willing to bet it amounts to be just as bad, if not worse than what he's done today. Over what? His quirk status? Enough kids die over something as stupid and baseless as quirk discrimination. It takes a lot to push someone to a violent psychotic break. If you ask me, the bullies and negligent should be held just as responsible. If not even more so." The hero explains. 

 

Aizawa has to admit, he's gained some respect for the guy after that little speech. But now they're just wasting time. It's illogical to put off infiltration any longer. 

"I was in the area for the week, so I got the alert. I realize me being here isn't the best for keeping this from becoming a mass media story, but I just want to help." Hawks then says, speaking directly to Eraserhead, "I can use my feathers to get a proper sweep of the building without the extremes of strike team. Can I leave Midoriya to you?" he asks. 

Eraserhead nods, make that a ton of respect now, "I already planned on being the one to approach him. It's not my first time talking someone back from the edge." 

The sad truth is he's come across far too many desperate souls with lifeless eyes on rooftops. He's saved many, but there are always those he simply couldn't save. Just too late.

Hawks nods in affirmative, then looks to Tsukauchi, "Call the officers back. The two of us are going in alone." 

"I'll do what I can. You two be careful in there." The detective says in response.

And with that, Eraserhead and Hawks make their way into the building.

---

Once inside, the winged hero sets to work sending out his feathers and scattering them across the school. While the sweep is in progress, he simultaneously works to help direct further evacuation efforts. 

Meanwhile Eraserhead starts heading to the last reported location of the supposed psychotic teen. He gets an equal amount of pitying and disapproving looks from the strike team members and armed officers that are making their way past him and outside. Most are already on their way out, helping evacuate the remaining students, while some officers stay in where they are stationed only to frown upon hearing the orders to clear out come though. 

*"Eraser, he's in a classroom at the far end of the main hall. Room marked 4-C"* Hawks informs him via the earpiece. *Once I finish up I'll take up post outside the room. Tap tree times on the feather that finds you if there's students that need evacuated and twice more when it's okay to cause that much commotion."* 

And before Eraserhead can even question it, a feather appears in front of his face then settles into the grated from of his goggles that sit around his neck. The position leaves it obscured from view by the hero's capture scarf.

When Eraserhead finally reaches the room, he's relieved to find the green haired boy is still alive inside. 

He's not too late. 

The room is the scene of a massacre, and the first on the list of victims is who looks to be one of the teachers. While the body is covered in bloody slashes, it's the bullet wound to the head that confirms the man's fate. 

Through out the rest of the room there are overturned desks and scattered papers and supplies. Behind desks and other various places of cover there are students, kids, that are taking shelter. Some however, weren't quick enough and lie unconscious or dead on the floor. 

Taking instant note of that, Eraserhead taps three times on the feather before taking hold of it and placing it in his pocket. Given he's going for his usual nonchalant (nonthreatening) slouch, it will be less conspicuous when tapping if it's in his pocket. 

 

In the corner across from the doorway where Eraserhead now stands, sits the one responsible for the entire tragedy. 
A small, trembling green haired, green-eyed boy, one Midoriya Izuku. 

The kid sits crosslegged, rocking in place slightly, with a blood flecked gun in his lap. He has one hand gripping what looks to be a scalpel of all things and the other buried in his fluffy green curls, pupils dilated and gaze slightly glazed over. His entire being, his black uniform, his too pale skin, his bright red Primordial shoes, splattered with the deep crimson of blood. 

Eraserhead slowly and carefully makes his way over to the boy. The boy doesn't openly acknowledge his presence, but Aizawa know's he's been noticed. Despite the dazed look on the kid's face, the hero can see his focus flickering in a constant state of hyper vigilance. His green eyes jump from person to person, if someone so much as changes their breathing pattern the kid takes notice of it. 

Aizawa walks directly into the boy's line of sight before he addresses him.
"Hey kiddo, can I sit down?" he asks in his usual level tone. If it's softer than usual this time, that's his own business.

 

Green eyes snap up to his face, then take everything about Eraserhead in; his hands in his pockets, his nonchalant slouch, his attentive but tired gaze. 

Then, the hero get the smallest of shaky nods. 

Smirking slightly at the permission, Aizawa sits down crosslegged a few feet across from Midoriya. He doesn't miss how the kid's muscle tension eases ever so slightly with his view of the scope of his violent episode being cut down.

"Thanks kid. I always appreciate the rest when I can get it." He says casually, "can I ask your name?" 

"I-Izuku." Comes the stuttered answer. "B-but ev-everyone calls me Deku."

"Hello Izuku. My name's Aizawa Shouta. I'm a pro hero." Eraserhead tells him in return. 

The boy nods, a faint glimmer of excitement rising in his eyes. "You're Eraserhead, an underground hero." 

That catches Aizawa by surprise. "Heard of me have you? I'm impressed." 

Izuku nods again, "I-I like heroes. I a-analyze them a-alot." 

He says, "That so? How about before we talk more about heroes, we let the other kids in here leave. Don't want them to hear anything too secret about other heroes right?" 

Izuku pauses, thinking it over, "O-okay." 

Eraserhead smiles, "Great Izuku, thanks." He taps twice on the feather in his pocket, then turns to the others in the room who are all watching attentively, "Go ahead. Quickly, quietly and calmly see yourselves out. Help anyone who needs it. Close the door on your way out." 

It only takes a minute for all of the kids who were left relatively unharmed to evacuate the room with the help of Hawk's feathers. Feathers the hero knows Izuku saw, but perhaps isn't in the mental state to acknowledge. 

 Aizawa is then left in the silence of the empty room, save for the corpses and Izuku. 

 

Turning his attention back to Izuku, he is met with the kid playing with the scalpel in his one hand. The kid runs his finger up and down the blunt side of the bladed end. He's mumbling something to himself, however Aizawa can't make out any of the words. He rocks slightly, shoulder's hitching with his breaths on occasion. Despite this, it doesn't look like Izuku has been crying at all. 

For the safety of them both, Eraserhead needs to disarm the teen. But first he needs to get Izuku to trust him enough, and to be grounded a bit better.

"Hey Izuku. Still with me?" he asks. 

The boy jerks out of his daze again and looks at the pro with dilated eyes. "Kinda. My head's all fuzzy and I feel floaty. But it's the good fuzzy and floaty, like when I get to stop hurting for a bit." 

So the kid probably disassociated during his main episode. Given the horror of it all, that's probably for the best right now. And from the sounds of it, this isn't the first time he's disassociated as a means to protect himself. 

"I see. Do you think you can talk about heroes now?" he asks anyway. First get the teen grounded with a topic he seems familiar with.  

"I-I can." Izuku replies, shifting his focus from the scalpel to Eraserhead.

"Awesome. You said you know who I am, which is surprising given not many in the hero business know me. Do you know my quirk?" he asks. 

Izuku nods a few times, excitement surfacing through the mania in his eyes, "It's Erasure. You can look at someone and when you activate it you erase their quirk. Your eyes glow red." He speaks quickly and softly, yet lacking in the previously present stutter.   

Aizawa can't help but be impressed with this kid's knowledge. 
"That's right, I'm impressed you knew that. Want to see it?" he offers. 

Izuku nods, "P-please." 

So Eraserhead activates his quirk, eyes glowing red and hair floating up as he does so. The boy actually smiles at this, staring unblinkingly into Aizawa's eyes. The tension in Izuku's shoulders dissolves further, but is by no means go completely. And he still trembles in place. 

When Eraserhead blinks and lets his hair drop, he waits for the kid's reaction. 

"Th-that's so c-cool. You can eras-se quirkss.  Can m-make people stop h'rting w'th their qu-quirks." He says softly.  

"I can. I keep people safe. That's what heroes do." Eraserhead replies. 

Izuku frowns, "Not all heroes. Kacchan's going to be a hero but he hurts. He hurts me. Like the others do. But I made it stop. No more, I made it stop. Stop it, stop it, stop it." The broken teen starts rocking in place as his chanting speeds up. 

 

Shit. He's spiraling again, "Izuku. Hey, Izuku can you hear me kid?" Aizawa tries to get the kid's attention. 

The boy's eyes look at him but doesn't show any sign of calming down. Green eyes with dilated pupils stare unseeingly. 

"No one is going to hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you any more. Remember? I can erase their quirks." As reminds Izuku of his quirk he activates it, eyes glowing and giving the greenette something to focus on in reality. 

Izuku slowly stops rocking as he continues to stare at the hero. "Y-you p-promise? Promise t-to keep me s-safe?" he asks faintly, as if he doesn't believe his own words. 

Aizawa nods, letting his quirk deactivate, "I promise Izuku. I promise I won't let anyone hurt you." 

"Not even Kacchan?" 

Aizawa doesn't miss a beat, "Not even Kacchan."

Izuku giggles, the sound a flittering, manic thing. "T-Thanks Eraserhead."

"No problem kid." He replies easily, filing the name 'Kacchan' away for later. 

 "Listen, Izuku, I need you to do something for me okay?" 

"W-what?" Izuku replies, curiosity evident in his voice as he asks. 

"Can you give me the knife and the gun?" he asks, probably a bit to suddenly. 

Izuku tenses, "N-No. I need them. To make it stop. To stop the hurting." 

"But you have me here now. I can stop the hurting." Aizawa counters carefully, "How about we trade? I'll give you a piece of my scarf if you give me you're weapons." 

Izuku pauses at the offer, "Can- Can I keep it?" he asks hesitantly, the slightest spark of hope in his glassy eyes. 

If that's what it takes to help this kid, a few feet off his capture weapon is more than worth it. "You can keep it. You're very own piece of capture scarf. I'll make it long enough so it wraps around your shoulders or neck okay?" he offers. 

"Okay," Izuku wipes the blood off the blade on his pants, "you can use this to cut it." He offers the scalpel to the hero. 

Said pro hero doesn't have the heart to deny him. At least he wiped it off? Keep telling yourself that Aizawa. 

Aizawa carefully takes the bladed instrument from Izuku's shaking grasp. "Thanks kiddo."

He then unwinds a length of his capture weapon long enough to wrap the kid several times, "I'm going to put it over your shoulders to measure it okay? Are you okay if I touch you?" he asks before making any move to approach the still shaking teen. 

Izuku hesitates before finally nodding. 

"Great kid, you're doing great." Aizawa says encouragingly as he leans forward and drapes the material over Izuku's shoulders then around his neck. 

Once he's done he cuts it from the main part of the scarf that is still around his own shoulders with the scalpel Izuku offered. The kid willingly parted with it for Aizawa to use in this manner, so it's best he does just that. He's impressed it manages to cut the material.

"Okay, I'm going to take the gun now that you have the scarf. Alright?" the hero asks. 

Izuku nods and hums his affirmative, removing his hands from their protective gasp on the firearm in favor of burying them into his newly acquired scarf. 

Aizawa doesn't bother holding back a fond smile as the greenette closes his eyes and nuzzles his cheek into the material, back and forth, back and forth. Eraserhead knows from personal experience that the textured feel of his scarf can serve to be grounding. 

*"Eraserhead"* A voice crackles to life over his earpiece, *"You okay in there?"* 
It's Detective Tsukauchi asking, Aizawa realizes it's been a decent amount of time since he first entered the building. 

While Izuku is still distracted, the hero reaches up and taps the mic on the earpiece three times; three taps for Y-E-S. It's a signal he and the detective decided on way back when they first started working together. 

Setting the two weapons behind him, Aizawa stays quiet and let's Izuku marvel over the capture weapon for a minute. 

Surprisingly, it's Izuku that speaks first.

"Hey 'raserhead?" he mumbles. 

"Yeah Izuku?" 

"Wh-why are you 'ere? And why 're you b-being so- so nice to mme?" Izuku asks. 

Here we go. Best play this carefully as he can, but not outright lie to the teen. He's probably been deceived enough in his life already.

"I was sent in to find you and help get you out. I want to save you." Aizawa says honestly. 

And he did. And he still does want to save this poor boy. This child who's been pushed too far over something he couldn't control. Aizawa refuses to let Izuku's life be over because someone broke him. 

"H-help me? S-save me?" Izuku wonders aloud. "Why would you do that? I'm quirkless. Just weak, worthless, useless Deku. Nobody cares about me."   

Aizawa can feel his calloused heart breaking for this kid. 

"That's the thing Izuku; I care. I want to help you. And I have some friends who want to help you too." The hero explains again, trying to get his point across. 

Izuku looks at him, still confused, "H-help me? Wh-why d-do you n-need to hel-help me?" he asks, "I already made it stop. No more pain, no more hurting. Just like he said I could." Izuku argues. 

"Who's 'he', if I may ask?" Aizawa asks slowly, hesitantly. Someone put the kid up to this? 

"The voice! He started talking to me a while ago. After my head would stop being all fuzzy and floaty I could hear him." Izuku elaborates innocently. 

So this kid is hearing an inner voice? His conscience? Or perhaps a protective personality developed from what is looking like years of trauma. Suddenly this got even more serious. And just when Aizawa thought it was already tragic enough. 

"I didn't want to hurt anybody 'Raserhead. But he told me to, told me I had to. But when I said no he said he would do it. And he told me it would make it stop, the hurting would stop. Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it..." Izuku dissolves into panic and hysteria once more. 

"Izuku, Izuku listen to me. Try focusing on my voice, nothing else." Aizawa tries to get his attention, words are all he has given he hasn't been given full permission to initiate physical contact, "Izuku!" he says a bit louder. 

The only thing close to acknowledgment he gets is Izuku's cloudy eyes flickering to him before back to the rest of the room. 

Time to see if the same trick works twice.

Aizawa activates his quirk again, keeping himself facing Izuku. And sure enough, the boy settles down enough to focus on Aizawa and not his own hallucinations. 

"Y-you." Izuku struggles to speak, "Y-ou made him go away. You scared him off." He says in quiet awe. 

"I said I would keep you safe now that I'm here. Remember?" Aizawa reminds him while deactivating his quirk.  

Izuku seems torn between nodding 'yes' and shaking his head 'no' and the result is a complicated mix of the two. 

Aizawa chuckles, "That's okay." He really should wrap this up, the police and heroes outside won't wait forever, and there are probably kids that need medical attention. 

"Hey Izuku," the hero begins, "What do you say to coming with me out of this classroom? I'll take you somewhere with no more hurting." He proposes, adopting the kid's own terminology. 

For the first time since he found Izuku, the teen goes completely and utterly still.

"Y-you w-want me to l-leave?" he asks. 

"I want you to come with me, if that's alright. I'll keep you safe from the quirks and the voice." He pauses a briefly, "And from Kacchan."  

Izuku seems to perk up at his offer. "Y-you will? Prom'se?" 

"I promise. And let's start by leaving the classroom okay?" 

Izuku hesitates, "don't think I-I can w-walk though. Too sh-shaky 'n floaty." 

"That's fine. I can carry you. As long as you're okay with it." Aizawa offers. He was planning on carrying the kid out regardless. This just makes it easier that he's expressed the need for help. 

"I-It's okay. Can- Can I-" Izuku breaks off before actually asking the question. 

"What's on your mind kiddo? I don't mind if you ask questions." The hero assures him. 

Izuku hesitates for a moment longer, hands clenching and unclenching in the scarf around his neck. "Can I have a hug first?"

This kid. To think a child can be left so afraid to ask for comfort. 

"Of course. C'mere." Aizawa opens his arms in invitation. 

Izuku sways slightly as he crawls forward into the embrace. 

Aizawa takes a brief moment to acknowledge how light Izuku is as he gathers the teen in his arms. Izuku buries his face his chest, tucked under the capture weapon. He takes hold of his uniform in a death grip with one hand, and the scarf with the other, holding just as tight. 

Eraserhead can feel the moment Izuku's tears finally start falling. He rubs the kid's back soothingly, the rhythm acting as a breathing pattern, while he slowly stands up. 

"Sorry 'Raserhead." Izuku mumbles, voice muffled by fabric. 

The hero pauses in his movement towards the door, "For what Izuku?" 

"I dunno. I just feel like I should be sorry for something. It's all fuzzy. Fuzzy and floaty again." Izuku tries to explain. "This is different though. More like a tired fuzzy. And a scared floaty. Not the good fuzzy and floaty." 

There's a lot to unpack in that statement, but right now Eraserhead needs to focus on getting them out of the school. 

As he reaches the door he sees Hawks poke his head in, then back out of sight. 
Right.

"Hey Izuku, still with me kiddo?" Eraserhead asks. 

Its a good few seconds before Izuku hums in reply, what sounds like an affirmative is probably the best the hero is going to get. 

"I have another hero here with me. He's going to help me take you to the safe place. Is it okay if he walks with us?" Eraserhead asks, not wanting to overwhelm the kid. 

"Which hero?" Izuku asks. 

"Hawks is here with me." Eraserhead answers. 

Izuku lifts his head up, "Hawks is here?" he asks. 

Eraserhead nods to Hawks and the winged hero takes that as his cue to make himself known. 

"Sure am. I came to help save you." Hawks tells Izuku as he walks into Izuku's line of sight. 

"Eraserhead is saving me. Are you going to help him?" Izuku asks. 

Said erasure hero has to hide a smirk in his capture scarf. 

Hawks on the other hand, doesn't bother, "I would love to!" he says cheerily, "And I see you've got your own scarf there too." He adds, eyeing Aizawa for a brief moment. 

Izuku nods and grips his scarf with renewed fascination, "Yep!" 

"Well Izuku, would you like a feather to go with your scarf?" Hawks offers.

Izuku stares at him wide eyed. "R-really? You-you're sure?" he asks softly. 

Hawks beams, "I sure am." He produces one of his smaller flight feathers and hands it out to Izuku. "Take good care of it okay?" 

Now it's Aizawa's turn to eye Hawks. He just gave the kid a flight feather. And to think he had the nerve to judge Eraserhead for giving the kid some of his scarf. 

"'Kay." Izuku replies, taking hold of the feather tightly in one hand and burying himself back under Eraserhead's capture scarf. 

They walk the halls in silence, the sound of sirens growing ever louder as they approach the exit. 
Eraserhead pauses just before the doors, "We're going to go outside now Izuku. It's going to get bright." He warns. 

Izuku's entire body tenses up and he starts shaking again. 

"Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong buddy?" Hawks asks softly. 

" 'm scared." Izuku mumbles out, somehow burying himself deeper into Eraserhead's scarf and shirt. 

"Hawks and I are here to keep you save. Remember? You'll be okay." Eraserhead assures him. 

"That's right! We've got you covered little buddy." Hawks agrees. 

Izuku sniffs a few times before settling once more. " 'Kay. Thanks 'raser. Thanks Hawks." 

"You're very welcome Izuku." Eraserhead replies. 

Then Hawks opens the door and leads them out into the chaos that awaits them. 

Chapter 2: Remember Nightmares Are Dreams Too

Summary:

Do not hope my dreams come true
I know better than you do
Despair and Pain
Drive most insane
Remember nightmares are dreams too
~~~~
We see the immediate aftermath of Izuku's actions. And it's a lot.

Notes:

The feedback from the first chapter was overwhelming! Thanks so much everyone! You're all awesome :D

As such, here's another chapter, enjoy!

Edited: 05/29/2025

As soon as the door opens, Eraserhead can feel Izuku's full body tense up. He can only imagine the sensory overload the kid is suffering. The bright light of the sun, the brush of the wind, the wailing of the sirens, the commotion of the crowds. 

The hero can feel Izuku press himself impossibly closer into his chest, a small whimper escaping him. 

Hawks pauses, no doubt picking up on the kid's distress, a spreads his wings out and sends some feathers to hover at Eraserhead's sides; in an attempt to provide coverage. He manages to block out most of the visual stimuli and protect them from the wind. The winged hero is also blocking anyone's direct sight of the bloodied form of Izuku. 

From what Eraserhead can tell some media has gathered outside the perimeter, which annoying as they are, isn't surprising. This was an assault on a school after all. even if the school's terrible faculty and students were the ones really at fault. But the media doesn't know that. All they see is another major headline or the next tragedy. 

Be that as it may, Izuku is a minor, so releasing his information is illegal. Simple as that. Even if the media does get ahold of it, they can't release said information. If they do he will personally sick Nedzu on them. But Aizawa trusts Tsukauchi to keep things under wraps for now. 

Satisfied with his ability to shield Izuku from the outside world, Hawks resumes leading them towards the ambulance that is set aside from the others. This one equipped to handle whatever state the psychotic teenager turned out to be in. It's positioned off to the side and not out in the open, along with being as far way from the rest of the students and faculty. 

The last thing they need is a confrontation. And from what Eraserhead has seen so far, that's exactly what the people in this fucked up school would have done if given the chance. 

Once they've rounded the side of the building, Hawks takes post with his wings fully outstretched, effectively creating a screen. 

Two paramedics approach them and Aizawa can tell right away they intend to take Izuku from him. Which he knows isn't going to go well for anyone involved. 

"Don't." He says as one gets a bit too close, "don't touch him. He's far from stable and someone he doesn't know grabbing him is just going to make this situation so much worse." He says in as low a volume he can manage yet still get the sincerity of his order across. His tone leaves no room for negotiation.

Not surprisingly, the two paramedics give him unimpressed looks. "But sir, if he's unstable he's still a danger. To you included. We need to take him." One young woman argues. 

"He's just a quirkless kid, how much harm can he really do?" the other comments, clearly not expecting to be listened to.

Aizawa's eyes flash red, but Hawks gets a word in before he can speak, "It's people with attitudes like yours that are the reason this abused child was pushed to the point he felt he had lash out violently to protect himself. It's blatant discrimination like that which lead to the deaths of eleven people and at least two dozen more injuries." He snaps. 

Hawks ignores their sputtering in favor of addressing Eraserhead, "Have the driver take you to Hero’s Retreat. I'll call ahead to make sure they are expecting you and no one puts up a fuss about Izuku being admitted to a hero hospital. I'm sure you're familiar with that place?" he asks. 

Aizawa nods, Hero’s Retreat is one of dozen or so hospitals in Japan the admit and treat heroes exclusively; both inpatient and outpatient. Hero’s Retreat is relatively close to UA in fact, and is most well known for its Behavioral Health, Metal Health and Psychiatric treatment and care programs. There are few better places to take Izuku.

Aizawa was admittedly about to call up Nedzu to strong arm (or threaten or whatever it is that rat does to get what he wants) his way into gaining Izuku a spot in inpatient. But with the number three hero calling the shots and making the request, it would seem that is no longer necessary. 

Izuku shifts in Aizawa's arms, reminding him of his presence. He's been eerily quiet since they got outside.

"You okay there Izuku?" he asks softly, starting to head for the back of the ambulance. 

He feels a nod rubbing against his uniform, "M'okay. Fuzzy and floaty and kinda tired." He mumbles out, sounding way to cute for the situation. 

"Why don't you get some sleep then kid. I don't mind." Aizawa suggests. 

"Can't," Izuku protests, "to loud and bright, too much, too much..." He keeps repeating the same phrase, making Aizawa pause in his walking and focus on calming him down. 

"Easy there Izuku. Can you hear me still?" he asks in a soft tone. 

A shaky nod. 

"Can you hear my heart beating and me breathing?" 

"Yeah." 

"Focus on those, listen to my heart and count how many times I take a breath in and out. Can you do that?" Aizawa asks, resuming his trek to the ambulance. 

Izuku mumbles out something that Aizawa takes as an affirmative, the actual words muffled by the fabric between them.

Hawks gives him a smirk when Aizawa looks back up at him, "I doubt you're getting rid of that one anytime soon Eraserhead." He teases. 

Said hero glares, "Wouldn't dream of it." 

"Think Nedzu is going to let you off work?" Hawks asks. 

"I expelled my entire class this year. I teach a few classes to the second and third years that could easily be taught by others. And besides," he pauses looking down at Izuku, who's breathing has evened back out, "Once he gets ahold of this case, he's going to have a field day." 

Hawks chuckles, "I don't doubt it. If you two need my help kicking some much needed ass, just let me know. I meant it when I said the kid could keep my feather. It's one of the flight feathers too, so it picks up sounds better than most of the others." 

"I will keep that in mind." Aizawa replies, stopping in front of their destination, "You coming to the hospital with us?" he asks. 

"I won't be riding over with you, I intend to help Tsukauchi clean things up here." Hawks answers, looking over his shoulder to the detective, who is currently surrounded by other officers, "I'll meet you guys there though. Is there anything you need me to do for you while I'm at it?" he asks. 

"I could use some actually decent coffee, hospital coffee isn't the greatest." He answers, then looks down at his uniform, which is a bit bloody (okay a lot bloody.  

"And a new uniform, I keep an extra at UA. Just ask Mic if you need to. I plan to call Nedzu on our way there if I can. I want to have Hound Dog handle this. While he rarely uses it as a school guidance counselor, he does have a license in psychiatry. And he's good with kids." Aizawa tells him. 

"Coffee and clothes it is then. I'll stop by UA and head over with Hound Dog then.  Take care of our little buddy here for me okay?" Hawks replies with a wide grin. He then leans a bit closer and taps Izuku's arm lightly. 

"Hey Izuku, you still there buddy?" he asks. 

"I'm here." Comes the soft reply. 

"How many breaths has Eraserhead taken?" he asks, sounding genuinely intrigued. 

"Nine- ninety eight breaths." Izuku answers hesitantly. 

"Great job! Now Eraserhead is going to ride with you in the ambulance to take you to a safe place okay?" Hawks explains. 

"You're not coming?" Izuku asks, sounding upset. 

"There isn't room for me inside the ambulance I'm afraid. I also need to go get another hero who is going to help us keep you safe. So I'll meet you at the safe place. And you have my feather so you know I'm coming back. I meant it when I said you could keep it." He tells the kid. "I'll see you later, alright little buddy?" 

The hero can feel Izuku's grip on the feather tighten a bit. The entire time they've been outside he could feel Izuku tracing his fingers up and down the ridges of the feather, no doubt using it to ground him. 

"Alright." Izuku replies. 

And with that the winged hero nods to Eraserhead then waltzes over to speak to Detective Tsukauchi. 

 

Eraserhead looks into the ambulance to find there was in fact a third paramedic here. Hopefully he turns out to be a bit more reasonable. 

"Hello there Eraserhead." Why does this guy know who Aizawa is...?  "And who might this be?" he asks, gesturing to Izuku. 

Aizawa climbs into the back of the ambulance and tries his best not to jostle his charge too much. "This is Izuku. He's had a rough time of it." The hero answers. 

The paramedic, for his part, is taking in the kid's appearance. Izuku is still curled up against Aizawa's chest, trembling slightly and can occasionally be heard mumbling something to himself. He's disheveled in appearance and too thin for a middle schooler in the young man's opinion. The most concerning thing however is the drying blood that splatters the boy's entire being; clothes, face, hair and all. 

Granted he was informed that this would be the ambulance that saw to the attacker, that's why he's even here. 

"Before we get him involved, what's your assessment so far?" the paramedic asks the pro hero. 

"We are looking at a violent psychotic break after years of abuse. Still showing signs of psychosis. From what I could tell he doesn't have any physical injuries. None of the blood is his. While he doesn't seem like much of a fighter now, I wouldn't underestimate him if he lashes out." 

"Of course not. Never underestimate someone pushed to the point they break." The paramedic replies. "Any quirk issues I need to be aware of?" he asks. 

"Izuku is quirkless." Aizawa says evenly, "I trust that won't be an issue?" 

The paramedic looks taken aback, and almost, mournful? "Makes no difference to me. It would be pretty hypocritical of me after all." He admits, lifting up his Primordial brand shoes just enough to be in view. 

Aizawa's eyes widen, "You're quirkless?" he asks. "We're breaking statistics here with you both in the same room." He then comments dryly. 

The man chuckles, "You're not wrong. My name is Stephan by the way. You may not remember me but I usually work at Hero's Retreat. We've met a in the past, nothing too note worthy. I was just covering a shift because the Musutafu General was understaffed and sent out a call, and I live nearest to it of everyone that's on the transfer list." He explains. 

"Well, that's where we're headed anyway. Hawks put in the request himself to have Izuku admitted into Hero's Retreat." Aizawa tells him. "Do you think you can inform the driver for me?" 

Stephan nods and goes to do just that, not arguing with the hero like Eraserhead had half expected. 

Meanwhile, Izuku shifts in his arms and looks up at him. Still half buried in the hero's capture weapon eyes lidded he looks like a kitten tangled in yarn (not that Aizawa would admit that out loud). 

It seems this time hearing his name actually registered and warranted a reaction. " 'Raser? What's goin on?" he asks, speech slurred slightly, "Where are we? It's quiet now?" 

"We're inside the ambulance Izuku. We're going to take you to a hospital where you can get some help okay?" Aizawa answers. 

" M'kay." Izuku replies. "No hurting?" 

The hero's expression softens, "No hurting." He confirms. "There's a paramedic here who wants to talk to you. Think you can listen and maybe answer a few questions?" he asks. 

Izuku blinks at him slowly but says nothing. 

"Izuku? You with me kid?" he asks again. 

Izuku startles a little, as if coming out of a daze, "I'm tired 'raser." He says slowly. 

Aizawa looks to Stephan who nods and mouths, 'let him sleep' 

"Then get some sleep kiddo. Questions can wait." Aizawa tells him. 

"You won' leave?" Izuku asks in a soft, scared voice. 

"I'll be here when you wake up, I'm not going anywhere. I promised I'd keep you safe remember?" he replies. 

Izuku nods and flops back against his hero's chest, the action equal parts exhaustion and relief. Aizawa runs a hand lightly through Izuku's curls, trying his best to avoid the blood. The greenette leans slightly into the touch before settling. 

Aizawa returns his attention to the paramedic. The blond smiles. 

"The whole process will be less stressful if we just let him sleep. I would like to try and get some vitals if I can without waking him up. But first, is it okay if I give our driver the go ahead for transport? It's probably best we get Izuku here to a hospital." Stephan asks. 

"That's fine. While you do that, I need to make a phone call regarding the case. Then I can better fill you in on what happened if you need me to." Aizawa replies. 

"Works for me." Stephan replies, then sets to work. 

---

Meanwhile, with the media gathering ever thicker around the police perimeter, Tsukauchi suggests Hawks takes his leave now that it's just clean up. If too many see him here, it will only cause more of a commotion in the long run. And, unfortunate as it may be, the detective is right. 

Before he left however, Hawks was sure to inform the man that Eraserhead planned to involve Nedzu and to have Hound Dog be the one to perform the psychiatric evaluation on the kid. And the fact that Izuku was being taken to Hero's Retreat of course. Tsukauchi easily agreed with all decisions, especially Hawks’s choice of hospitals for the psychotic teen. The hospital is the best at keeping information out of the media and preserving its patient's privacy. Something that, which a case such as this, is going to be under severe attack. 

 

And with that, Hawks takes to the air, trusting the clean up to the police. He needs to stop a UA before heading to the hospital after all. He wants to speak to Nedzu about this matter himself, and of course; Eraserhead needs his coffee. That and his change of clothes, but Hawks knows which one the underground hero would appreciate more. 

---

---

 

At UA, Nedzu sits in his office. School had let out for the day about thirty minutes ago and the creature was simply awaiting the inevitable phone call from Aizawa. 

When Detective Tsukauchi had called, he had requested Eraserhead specifically. Naturally curious given it was broad daylight, Nedzu asked what the situation was. The Detective had explained roughly what they knew without a fuss; something the Nedzu loves about the Detective. He has long since accepted that if Nedzu wants to know something, he will find out. But the man saving him the trouble of hacking or extensive research is none the less still appreciated. 

 

And when he heard that there was a attack on a nearby school, he was a bit distressed. Any attack on education facility is cause for concern. However, upon looking into it a bit with his own channels (ie the school in question's security cameras) he was more upset than anything. The school had best prepare itself for the wrath of Nedzu. 

 

Nedzu's phone starts ringing. 

Ah! It's Eraserhead, as expected. Nedzu answers it without hesitation. 

 

"Greetings Aizawa! How is the case going?" he asks cheerily. 

"I'm in an ambulance with a kid deep in psychosis. We're on route to Hero’s Retreat's psychiatric ward." Comes the deadpan reply. 

"I see. I take it you are with the student who facilitated the attack?" Nedzu asks. 

"I am. But the kid is more of a victim than anything." Aizawa answers, "He was abused and pushed to the point of a violent psychotic break." 

Nedzu nods despite Aizawa being unable to see it, "And the boy, is he physically unharmed?" 

"He is, though he's asleep at the moment." Aizawa confirms. "Hence the phone call. Although I have the feeling you know more about this case than I do at this point." 

 

Nedzu grins, an expression that again, Aizawa can't see. 

He does know a good deal about the case. A child abused in his school for years over something as inconsequential as not having a quirk. It's things like this that remind Nedzu of his distaste for most of humanity. 

 

"You are correct. Am I to presume you would accept my help and involvement were I to offer it?" Nedzu proposes. 

He can hear Aizawa sighing, "Of course. This poor kid is going to need all the help he can get in the legal department. Personally I don't see how he should be held solely responsible. Then again, depending on the results of a psyche eval, it may not be possible to hold him at all responsible. All the signs for psychosis are here. But it would be illogical for me to draw any sort of conclusion, I'm not professional in that regard." There's a pause, "I would like to Hound Dog do the eval if you can arrange that. Oh, and Hawks is probably on his way to retrieve the man and speak to you. That and get me a much needed coffee and change of clothes." 

 

This catches Nedzu by surprise, "Hawks? Why would he be involved in this?" he asks. 

"The guy was on scene, he was fully aware that him being there would cause more of a fuss potentially so he kept a low profile. For the most part. He really just wanted to help when he heard about the incident. Even gave Izuku here one of his feathers to help calm him down. I think he's gotten attached. Hawks I mean. Though probably Izuku as well." Aizawa explains. 

 

This certainly does make things interesting. To think the number three hero would get himself involved with something like this. And even have an emotional attachment and stake in the results. 

"I will let Ryo-san know to be prepared for a trip over to Hero's Retreat. I would like to accompany them as well to help deal with administrative matters and be on site to receive the full story once it is brought to light. And I will make sure Hawks gets the correct coffee given you stash yours away from the rest of what I supply the teacher's lounge with." Nedzu replies. 

 

"Thanks Nedzu. Looks like we are just about there, so I need to go so I can focus on Izuku." Aizawa tells him. 

"Of course Aizawa. Please take care of your young friend. I shall see you soon." Nedzu replies. 

And with that, the call is ended. 

Hawks's involvement was an unforeseen development. But perhaps a beneficial one. As the number three hero he is a position of influence and power. However there is the matter of his close ties with the Hero Public Safety Commission. Nedzu may offer to 'help' the young hero out with that little problem, should the need arise. 

And alert for the front gate pops up on Nedzu's monitor. 

Speaking of, there he is now. 

---

---

Once they arrived at the hospital, it all went to hell. Despite being at the receiving bay of the behavioral health wing, Aizawa will openly admit they handled the situation terribly. 

 

He had hoped to keep Izuku asleep until they got him to an isolated room. However the overall commotion dashed that plan the moment they stepped into the hospital. 

 

Aizawa and Stephan were approached by two nurses as soon as the doors closed behind them. 

The moment they made a move to take the child, Stephan stepped in, "It would be best if you didn't try to separate them." He states. 

"He's right," Aizawa agrees, "I can just carry him to the room. We don't want to wake him up just yet. He'll panic." 

Even as he says that, Aizawa can feel Izuku shifting and hear his breathing picking up. 

 

"That won't be necessary. We can take him, sir." The one nurse in green scrubs insists. 

And that statement was all it took. 

 

Izuku jolts awake and upright instantly. Crying out "No!"

Given the surprising strength behind the action, his flailing and squirming leads to Aizawa losing his grip on the kid. Izuku falls to the ground and seems dazed for a moment, mumbling to himself.

Then he's on his feet and it's clear to everyone as the teen looks around, eyes crazed and brimming with tears, that he's going to run. 

And just before Izuku bolts, the other nurse in red tries to grab him.

It goes about as well as could be expected. 

 

Izuku cries out, a shrill fear filled sound and tugs and pulls his wrist towards himself. Stephan, thank gods, stops the nurse in green from joining in on the struggle. 

"Let- let m-me go!" Izuku cries out, words choppy with emotion. "D-don' h'rt me!" 

And the nurse lets go. It's clear the child is scared and thankfully they realize that their actions really aren't helping. And if Izuku runs there are few open doors he can go through regardless. 

Izuku stumbles at the sudden freedom, but keeps his footing and takes off down the hallway. 
No one immediately follows him, giving chase will only freak him out more. And by the looks of it, his goal is an empty patient room. 

 

AIzawa sighs, "I'll be the one to approach him. He trusts me somewhat seeing as how I was the one who originally brought him out of his episode at the school." He declares, "and for the love of god, keep your distance this time." 

 

Having said his peace, he slowly makes his way down the hall once again to calm Izuku. Time to save the teen from himself.

---

When Izuku wakes up, he doesn't know what's going on. All he knows is it's too loud and too bright. There's too many voices and unknown noises and he wants it all to stop. He's only catching bits and pieces of what they’re saying however, given he's still floaty and fuzzy. 

 

"--carry him to the room. We don't-- just yet---" 

"That won't --  we ---- take him --." 

 

Take him? They want to take Izuku? No! Izuku didn't do anything wrong! He was the one who did it!
~I did what needed to be done to stop the hurting. I stopped them from hurting us.~  The voice declares.

 

Panicking, Izuku lashes out at the person who is carrying him, one hand flailing while the other still clutches the feather Hawks gave him. His thrashing ends with him being released, or rather, dropped. He hits the ground hard.
~Stay safe, stay safe! No weapon! Run! Hide! Stay safe!~ the voice screams in his mind. 

And Izuku in inclined to agree. He doesn't have the scalpel and the gun anymore. Just the feather from Hawks and the scarf from Eraserhead.  

As soon as Izuku is on his feet, he is looking for somewhere to hide. He needs to get away, Izuku is in danger. Frantically looking around, Izuku sees he's in a long open hallway. It's mostly white, with a few colored lines as accents. But there's a door off to the side, into what looks like an empty room. 

Before he can head for it, something or someone grabs his wrist. 

Izuku cries out and yanks his wrist towards himself, trying to free himself. "Let- let m-me go!" he shouts. "D-don' h'rt me!" 

Surprisingly, they listen. 

For what must be one of the first times, he is released when he asks. 

Instead of dwelling on that however, Izuku bolts for the empty room he saw, ignoring everything else. He has to escape! He has to hide! 

Once in the room he heads for a desk at the opposite side of the room, near the far corner. Making up his mind, Izuku bolts over to it and crawls underneath it. Breathing hard and fast, he curls in on himself, pulling his knees to his chest and pressing his back against the wall. 

Rocking slightly, he places the feather between his legs and chest, to keep it safe. Izuku buries his left hand into the capture scarf around his neck and with his right he digs his nails into his left arm, scratching in a back and forth motion. His actions leave four, one inch long abrasions that keep getting deeper. 

Izuku feels the pain, it's only a sting, at least for now. But it's familiar and it's grounding. Izuku knows pain, he knows pain. It means Izuku's alive even though he feels like he's dying. He can't breathe and he's shaking all over. But he can feel pain, so he must still be alive.

With dilated, glassy green eyes, Izuku surveys the room before him, vision spotty and breathing on the verge of hyperventilation. Between the fingers on his left hand he rubs the fabric of the capture scarf back and forth, back and forth. Just like he rocks, back and forth, back and forth. 

The capture scarf... Eraserhead gave him some of his capture scarf! That's right! But where is Eraserhead? Did he leave? But he said he would keep him safe. Where's Eraser? 

"I'm right here Izuku." A deep voice answers, startling Izuku, "I'm right here." 

Oh, he must be mumbling. He should stop, it's creepy. 

"It's not creepy, you're just freaked out, which is understandable." This voice is familiar. It's not the one that's in his head, the one that tells him how to be safe and make it stop. No, this is someone else. 

"That's right Izuku. How about you focus on me, focus on my voice? Can you look at me?" they ask him. 

Izuku looks to the source of the voice; straight in front of him. Across the room, just inside the door Izuku passed through, stands a figure dressed in black. Granted the figure is a bit hazy and blurry because of Izuku tears, but it's there. 

Wait...tears? When did he start crying? He must be crying because he's scared. Izuku whimpers softly. 

He so so scared. 

"It's okay to be scared. But I still want to keep you safe. Can I come closer, so I can keep you safe?" the voice asks. 

Can they? Does Izuku trust them? Who are they? Izuku can't quite figure it out!

"It's Eraserhead, Izuku. And I'm right by the door. I won't move till you're comfortable with me doing so." 

Eraserhead? Izuku trusts Eraserhead. Eraserhead kept him safe. He made him stop. 

Frantically Izuku nods his consent, curls bouncing with the movement. 

The floor vibrates ever so slightly with the footsteps of the black figure. Step, step. Step, step. Step, step. It's an even rhythm, one that Izuku finds himself following as he rocks. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. His scratching slows to follow it too. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth.

Then the figure crouches down then sits cross legged a few feet across from Izuku and to the side. Now that they're closer, Izuku recognizes them as definitely being Eraserhead. He smiles at Izuku. Izuku doesn't smile back. 

"Hey there Izuku. I see you found somewhere to hide." Eraserhead greets. 

Izuku nods. He's hiding because the voice said to. The voice keeps him safe. 

"You don't need to hide though. You're safe here." He then tells him. 

Izuku shakes his head no. Back and forth. Back and forth. He's not safe. Not here. He doesn't even know where here is. But he said it's not safe. And he always helps keep Izuku safe. 

"You're at the hospital Izuku," Eraserhead informs him, "Remember that safe place I told you we could go to?" he asks.

Izuku nods jerkily. He remembers. 

"Well this is it." Eraserhead tells him, "And while it probably doesn't seem like it, we just want to help." 

Izuku stares at the hero for a long moment, still trembling, still rocking.

This is the safe place? They did let go of him. And Eraserhead is here and he keeps Izuku safe. 

~Eraserhead is safe.~ The voice agrees with him. 

He said they want to help him. But who's they? People don't usually want to help Izuku. 

~But Eraserhead helps us. And Hawks helps us.~ The voice reminds him. 

He is right. So maybe Izuku is safe? Maybe.

---

Aizawa stays silent where he sits as he lets Izuku process the information. They're in an empty patient room ironically enough. It's not one of the isolated rooms that Izuku would be staying in, but there's worse places he could have chosen to run off to. The kid is hiding under one of the two small desks provided in the room for the patients, next to each is a standing chest of three half drawers. On the opposite wall there are two beds,  already made with clean hospital patterned sheets and just awaiting someone to occupy them. The walls, much like the those in the hallway, are a cream color with the typical grayish rubber trim running along the bottom where it meets the floor. In the center of the wall, stretching horizontally along its length are three parallel lines, colored blue, yellow and red.  

There's hospital staff standing just outside the door, Stephan half in the doorway while another three stand out of sight of Izuku but where they can observe the situation. They had agreed to let Aizawa be the one to approach Izuku and attempt to calm him down after the boy had shouted that he 'didn't want to be hurt' thus indicating his actions were out of fear and not aggression. 

 It's clear the kid is terrified. After all he woke up in an unfamiliar place and he's not exactly in the most stable frame of mind. So his hysteria is understandable. And it's far from Aizawa's first time handling a child in the throes of a panic attack. He does have formal mental health training and has, sadly, dealt with many trauma victims. Even if this is his first time one has been so attached to him.

Aizawa does wish he could get Izuku to stop scratching, but at least it's slowed down and lightened considerably since they started talking. There's still visible red spots and in some places, blood starting to trail down from the abrasions. But for now, he'll take what he can get. One step at a time.

Aizawa listens as the teen starts mumbling again, talking either to himself or with himself, the hero isn't sure. When he was doing it earlier it was as if he didn't notice. It's almost endearing, it would be if not for the current circumstances being what they are. 

"You- you're sure it's ssafe?" Izuku asks him softly, sounding as if he is scared to even consider believing him. 

"I'm sure. What can I do to help you feel safer Izuku?" Aizawa responds. 

Izuku thinks on the question for a few moments, lips moving in silent muttering this time. Then he answers with a hesitant question of his own, "Can- can I... Can I h-have another hu-ug?" 

And how is Aizawa supposed to say not to that? Even he's not that heartless. 

"You sure can kiddo," he replies, opening his arms in invitation. 

Unlike back in the school, Izuku doesn't hesitate this time. He quickly crawls out from the desk he had been hiding under and into his savior's arms. Aizawa is quick to secure his arms around the boy as Izuku once again buries his head under the hero's capture weapon, clutching Aizawa's shirt with one hand and the feather Hawks gave him with the other. 

Once settled, Izuku starts sobbing. Be it out of relief or fear; he couldn't tell you. But when the kid's breathing starts getting quicker and shallower, Aizawa takes action to calm him some. 

"Easy there Izuku. Just breathe kid. You're safe now, you're safe Izuku. Don't forget to breathe." And he continues like that, talking the kid down. He has one hand rubbing a breathing pattern cross Izuku's upper back and shoulders as he rocks slightly in place. 

And they stay like that for a while. Just existing for now.  

---

---

Dealing with the aftermath of a school shooting is never fun. That much should be a given. 
Dealing with one that was responded to by a top ten hero was an interesting twist. 
The fact that the attacker was an abuse victim of said school made this infinitely more complicated. 
The fact the said top ten hero wanted all of the major bullies charged with accessory to murder made this near impossible. 

And yet, it's all in the day of the life of Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. 

As parents arrived and/or were informed it was crucial to keep the information released to a minimum. After each student was interviewed it was made very clear that any information on the identity of the attacker was to be kept to themselves or they would be facing legal charges. The thing is, most of the kids who knew Izuku was responsible are probably traumatized enough to never want to talk about this ever again regardless. 

Or they're dead. The psychotic teen claimed eleven lives; ten students, one teacher, and injured two dozen or so others. Some were critically wounded, some were clearly intended targets and others merely collateral damage. 

Detective Tsukauchi elected to handle the media address personally. Assuring them the situation was now under control and that the attacker was no longer an active threat was interesting, given the kid wasn't technically in police custody. They wanted details about said attacker. Tsukauchi held nothing back in reminding (read: threatening) them that no such information was to be released given they were a minor. 

The detective wasn't making any friends with the media, but he's sure his husband would be proud. Shouta's hatred for the media is nothing new or undeclared. And Naomasa is honestly convinced the feeling is mutual given Shouta is the media's biggest obstacle save Nedzu in terms of getting information on UA.  

But that's another matter entirely. 

Speaking of UA, the detective received the anticipated phone call from it's principal barely an hour after the original call to emergency services was even made. Nedzu basically declared his involvement and that he would handle the legal matters on Izuku's behalf. Tsukauchi will openly admit he is relieved that the rat is getting involved. Because his involvement means that this poor kid won't be torn to shreds by society for something that wasn't his fault and was done after suffering for years already. 

And that just left the hardest part of the entire ordeal. 

Informing Midoriya Inko that her son had attacked his school after being bullied and outright abused for nearly ten years. 

When he called the house, he was informed by the answering machine that Midoriya-san was still at work. So he called the work number that was listed in Izuku's file under Inko's contact information. 

It was a direct line to a nurses station at Musutafu General Hospital. Ironically the hospital Izuku would have gone to had he been injured or had Hawks not elected to have him admitted to Hero’s Retreat. And the same one all the other injured were taken.

And after insisting that, yes it was an emergency, to a very grumpy and irate head nurse; Detective Tsukauchi finally got to speak to Midoriya Inko herself. 

"Hello? This is Midoriya Inko. I was told you wanted to speak with me?" a soft toned voice comes over the phone. 

"Yes, good afternoon Midoriya-san. This is Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa with the local police. I am calling you about the incident that took place at your son's school today." The detective replies, keeping his voice even. 

"Ah, yes. I had heard about that. We received the patients here earlier this afternoon. One of them was Izuku's friend Katsuki." Izuku's...friend? This is the first Tsukauchi has heard of any friends and they've spoken to nearly the whole school. And yet the his quirk registers the statement to be 'true', 

"Tell me, is my baby alright? He must be if he never had to come to the hospital. Unless. Don't tell me he- he." The detective can hear her tearing up. 

"If I may interrupt Midoriya-san." He cuts in to stop the impending hysterics, "Your son is alive." 

"Oh that's great to hear, and please call me Inko." She replies. "Then is this just a formal call to inform me of what happened?" the woman then asks. 

Here we go. "No ma'am. You see..." The detective hesitates, and can you blame him? "Izuku was the one responsible for the incident." He hears what sounds to be a gasp but hurries on, he needs to get it all out, "It is speculated to be the result of a violent psychotic break. As I would think you are aware, your son was being bullied heavily at school. Currently his is being accompanied by one of the pro heroes that responded on scene to Hero’s Retreat to be admitted to their psychiatric facility and evaluated." He finishes. 

There's a long, long pause. And its almost painful.

"My- my darling Izuku...was the one who did this?" Inko's hesitant voice asks, "You're sure of this? And that...it's because he was apparently being bullied?" 

Gods, she didn't even know that much? Either Izuku was excellent at hiding it or this woman has been unintentionally neglecting her child. But how do you hide ten years worth of wounds? And how do you ignore ten years of learned trauma behavior?

"You were unaware Izuku was being bullied?" Tsukauchi asks, before he can think better of it. 

"Well, he would come home roughed up some afternoons. He looked at bit sore and uncomfortable others. At least on the afternoons I was actually home to see him arrive from school. But you see he's a clumsy yet energetic child. Always doing so much even if he is rather fragile." Inko tries to explain, and the detective hates that the statements ring 'true' thanks to his quirk.

"You never noticed him being oddly jumpy or skittish around you or others? Hesitant or uneasy when it came to contact?" Tsukauchi asks, praying that this woman, this mother can't be this blind. Not truly. 

"He's always been a shy boy around others. And he never stopped me when I would hug him or anything. Perhaps he was a bit tense but I took that as his usual awkwardness." She tells him, "But you're sure he was being bullied? It would have to be quite severe to push him to do something so...impossibly out of character." Inko then questions. 

Tsukauchi suppresses a sigh, "Yes ma'am. We have evidence to prove as such. In fact the whole school district in under investigation." He explains. "But for now, I would like to speak with you about next steps regarding Izuku's case. Is there a time that would be best to meet up with you? Perhaps when you are done work?" he then asks. 

"It would have to be after I go and see my son of course but-" 

"Inko-san I apologize, but you misunderstand me. You can't visit your son just yet." Tsukauchi cuts her off. 

"I- I'm sorry? I can't visit my own son?" she demands, sounding taken aback. 

"Not at present no, he must be first cleared by hospital staff for visitors. As of right now I meant legal steps." He clarifies. 

There's another silence. 

"Are you asking me to sign over custody detective? Is that why you won't let me see Izuku?" Inko asks suddenly. 

The hell? "Of course not. It's just that Izuku's current care is only half of the issue here. There is also the matter of any charges brought against him. His is currently in the care of a pro hero who has become quite fond of him. However a more longterm plan needs to be at least discussed." Tsukauchi explains to her. 

"But. I can't afford a lawyer and legal consultation. We barely get by as it is." Inko argues, "You said he has a pro hero looking after him now correct? Perhaps it would be best if they just handled things from here. I'm not sure I really could. It all sounds like a lot." 

Is this what Tsukauchi thinks this is? "To be clear Inko-san. Are you intending to sign away your custody rights to Izuku?" he asks, stunned. 

"Yes detective, that's correct. I don't think I'm the best suited to help Izuku at this point. I've done what I could until now. And- and clearly that wasn't enough." She tries to justify, "So yes, I would like to sign away custody of Izuku." 

Tsukauchi has to take a moment to just process this all. And really, what did he expect? He went into this conversation having no clue as to the outcome. It's clear to him this woman has just been doing the best she can, and yet is seemingly incapable of understanding the problems her son truly faces. 

She's underestimating him just like the rest of society has. And now that he has potentially become even more work for her, she's recognized that it's too much. Well, at least she didn't try to pretend like she could do it.

"I understand Inko-san. Then can I ask you to stop by the station after your shift is over so we can settle the paperwork then?" he asks. 

"Of course detective. Thank you for your time and understanding." Inko answers. 

"You're welcome ma'am. Have a good evening." He replies numbly. 

"You as well. Goodbye." 

Then the line goes dead. And Detective Tsukauchi is left unsure of where he really stands with this case. This has made thing simultaneously easier and more complicated. 

Damn. 

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

I'm doing okay, getting kinda bored stuck in quarantine. Never really thought I'd want to go back to work over staying at home, but alas.

So what did we think of this chapter? I hope it was okay. It put a lot of thought into it honestly. It's interesting to think about how all of this would be handled. Not just with the media and legal stuff, but also how Izuku's treatment will be approached.
I'm not gonna lie and say that I don't know how behavioral health wards work, because I do. But this is still a unique case. And also a fan fic. That too. I do try to keep it as accurate as possible however I am no mental health professional. Just a long time patient I guess you could say.
I did try to do my research though.

I hope everyone's holidays went well. Mine certainly did, minus my entire family now being stuck in quarantine. But what can you do.

I will try to update this as much as I can. I do have two fics after all, but we should be okay at least until college starts back up.
Oh and I did some minor edits to chapter one, just because I saw so many typos I wanted to scream.

Thanks for all the love again guys! Let me know what you think! The comments really make my day.

That's if for me.
Later
>>--> Arrow

Chapter 3: Take a Step into My World

Summary:

Take a step into my world
The chaos my eyes now hold
It may have light
yet like the night
It is forever dark and cold

~~
Heroes meet with other heroes. Izuku meets with heroes. Questions are asked and answers are given. Although in some cases this only unearths more unknowns.

Notes:

Once again, the feedback overwhelms me.
Thanks so much!
This chapter took a bit longer, given I really haven't got a plan for this.

That said, any ideas you guys have are more that welcome! Drop some in the comments, I'll let you know what I think!

And just to clarify, I have this taking place just after the sludge incident in cannon. So the whole meeting All Might and saving Bakugo did happen. It was a last minute decision.

And with that, Enjoy!

Eraserhead had sat there on the floor with Izuku for a while. It took some doing but he finally managed to calm the kid down to a slightly more rational state of mind. The next step was to get Izuku properly settled into the unit. 

Izuku needed washed up and to change out of his blood splattered school uniform. Did Aizawa plan to burn the damn thing? Yes. Once evidence was done with it that is. He's not so worked up (please, he's not one for emotions) that he would ignore protocol. At least not for a case such as this (despite Aizawa having yet to encounter anything of this scale). 

Izuku is going to need all the help he can get.

Izuku agreed to getting showered off and changed, however as soon as Aizawa showed the slightest sign of leaving, he spiraled back into a panic. So they were once again sitting on the floor; Izuku in Eraserhead's lap, trembling and clutching the hero's jumpsuit with still bloodied hands. 

"Please don't l-leave me 'raser. Please. I don' wanna be-be alone again-n. P-please don't g-go." The broken teen begs, breaking Aizawa's heart. 

"I'm not going anywhere Izuku." Aizawa assures, rubbing a hand up and down the kid's back, "I promised to keep you safe remember? I won't leave you alone. Never again." 

"P-promise?" Izuku stutters out, looking up at him through tear filled eyes. 

"I promise." And damn it does he intend to keep said promise. 

Once he's been adequately convinced, at least for now, that Eraserhead isn't leaving him, they once again shift their focus to getting Izuku cleaned up. Aizawa, at this point, has just resigned to being in the same room as Izuku for the foreseeable future. 

When asked if he wanted help, Izuku accepted the offer, once again mumbling about being 'fuzzy and floaty'. Given how long this has been apparently afflicting the teen, Aizawa is starting to wonder if they are dealing something other than just normal disassociation. He'll have to mention it to Hound Dog when he and the others eventually arrive. 

 

It was while helping Izuku get changed after showering off that Aizawa noticed two concerning things. 

One, Izuku seemed far too thin for his age. You could see the outline of his ribs just a bit too much for the kid to simply be built small. 
Second and far worse, were all the scars. Scattered across Izuku's torso, arms, legs and even neck were countless scars. Some were clearly burn scars, almost starburst like patches of marred, off-colored flesh scattered across the teen's form. Judging by the condition of the scar tissue some were second or even third degree burns. There were also scars that looked to be left from puncture wounds  and ones that were clearly from lacerations. He could see countless bruises in various states of healing, some that looked like the poor kid was hit with blunt force, such as having something thrown at him. 

The word 'Deku' carved out into Izuku's left calf and upper right arm. 
A burn scar in the shape of a handprint on Izuku's left shoulder and right thigh, too discolored and distinct in shape to be the result of being burnt in such a way only once. 

And the fact that Izuku seems resigned to or even accepting of their collective presence on his body, as if this was a completely normal sight to see, made it all the more tragic. 

Aizawa requested some gauze to wrap the kid's forearms with, seeing as how they are still scratched up from Izuku's earlier episode. Izuku tried insisting that they didn't need bandaged, he was fine, they didn't hurt, he's had worse, but Aizawa wouldn't budge. After using the logic of 'keeping Izuku safe' once again, the teen relented and sat quietly as his wounds were gently wrapped. 

Soon enough they've finished, Izuku now in the smallest patient uniform the staff could find, forearms wrapped in gauze. One hand still held the feather Hawks gave him, the other clutching Eraserhead's hand like a lifeline. Around his neck was the piece of capture scarf the hero had given him, occasionally Izuku would run his cheek across the textured fabric, once again reminding Aizawa of a kitten. 

 

They were led to one of the more isolated and safety proofed rooms of the unit. The one assigned to him already had a nameplate reading "Izuku" slid in under the room number. It would be his room and his alone. He would not be expected to share with another patient, although most of the rooms were private given the scale of the hospital. 

The room had the same painted walls as the rest of the ward, but lacked the desk. It had two beds, one was for the patient, one presumable for their assigned chaperone. 

Given Izuku was currently in a state of psychosis and was a violent psychotic break, he would need to accompanied and kept under watch around the clock. The staff had barely started mentioning getting him a chaperone when Aizawa said he would stay with them. As the hero who rescued him, and a hero in general, he could be permitted to do so. Silently the hero wondered if the staff had possessed any real expectation of separating him from Izuku. Their quick agreeance has him thinking probably not. 

As for Stephan he said he needed to report to his superiors but assured Aizawa this wouldn't be the last he saw of him. Aizawa hoped not, having someone else who was quirkless and yet successful around would be good for Izuku.

 

But for now they were just hanging out in Izuku's new room, waiting for Hawks to arrive with Hound Dog (and Aizawa's coffee).  

For some reason Izuku insisted on sitting on the floor, not that Aizawa minded all that much. The staff this time provided cushions for the two to sit on, despite Izuku's being abandoned in favor of sitting on Eraserhead's lap. 

Somewhere along the way Aizawa had told the kid his civilian name and gave him permission to use it instead of his hero name. However Izuku asked, albeit very hesitantly, if he could keep calling him Eraser at least. When asked why, this was what he told the hero. 

"This this all still does-doesn't feel real yet. Calling you your hero n-name an' you res-pond-ding to it is jus' an'ther remin-minder that maybe-be this isn't a trick-ck, this isn't a delud- delusion." 

And how is Eraserhead supposed to deny Izuku that reassurance. And how tragic is it that Izuku is that distrusting of adults that he still thinks this is a trick. Or the fact that he's suffered so long that this simply can't be real to him. 

Throughout the whole time Izuku would suddenly freeze up, staring off in any given direction. Then he would grab hold of Eraserhead's forearm firmly and just stare at the hero, as if to reassure himself that this was real, this wasn't a dream or some trick. 

And Aizawa let him do what he needed to, content to just go with the flow of it all so long as Izuku wasn't hurting himself. 

One of the mental health workers on staff had found a hero themed coloring book when sent off to retrieve something to keep Izuku occupied. When she offered it and the colored pencils to him, he gave her a beaming smile, excitement clear on his face. Izuku didn't seem to mind the staff, so long as he had warning before they entered the room and an explanation as to who they were. And of course, that they were safe. 

Before he could start coloring however, one of the nurses asked if she could take his vitals. Aizawa was pretty sure Izuku wouldn't be okay with  being touched yet. When asked, Izuku verbally made this fact very clear. 'Only Eraserhead could touch him. Only Eraserhead was safe. Don't let them touch him, don't let them hurt him.' 
So they decided that it would be best to wait. Seeing as the teen was conscious and as stable as could be expected in his current mental state; they deemed it fine to hold off on any testing. 

Izuku quickly set to work coloring in the book, grabbing a red colored pencil from the pack he was given. 

"What's your favorite color Izuku?" Aizawa asks, out of blatant curiosity. 

"Red!" Izuku replies cheerily. An answer that is admittedly concerning given the amount of 'red' they had just been surrounded by at the school. 

But Izuku wasn't done, "It's the color of my sneakers, I always get red high tops. Though there really aren't that many colors to choose from given Primordial is the only brand that make a line of shoes for quirkless. But I've always liked the color. Spider lilies are also red, which made it a bit better when they were left on my desk all the time. Oh and your eyes glow red when your quirk activates and Hawks's feathers are red too." The kid rambles on. 
Some of the reasons were quite nice, others not so much. All in due time Aizawa supposed. 

Aizawa also notices the fact that, now that they are alone, Izuku's stutter seems to have faded considerably. 

Then Izuku turns to a page that depicts All Might, and Aizawa can see the way the light dies from his eyes. Izuku stares at it for a long moment, then simply takes his red colored pencil and slashes two red lines in the shape of an 'X' across the image and turns to the next page. 

And what the actual hell could that mean? 

"Do you want to tell me why you did that?" Aizawa risks asking, "You don't like All Might I take it?" 

Izuku shakes his head, "I used to love All Might. I even got to meet him a few weeks ago! He saved me." He explains, "But then I wanted to ask him something important, but he tried jumping off so I grabbed onto him. Then when he landed on a tall roof, I asked him." 

Aizawa doesn't like where this is going, "What did you ask him Izuku?" 

"I asked him if someone without a quirk could become a hero." Izuku says softly. 

"And what did he tell you?" Aizawa asks, despite fearing the answer. 

"He said no. That's it's not wrong to dream, however I need to be... realistic." Izuku says, voice breaking. "He-he told me no-no, just like... everyone else." 

Be more realistic? Does the so called 'Symbol of Peace' not know what the statistics are for the quirkless? Being realistic meant wishing him an early death at best, and a life of hardship and discrimination at worst. 

Looks like Aizawa is going to be having words with a certain number one hero. 

"Well I disagree." Aizawa states, "While it would be far from easy to pull off, technically someone quirkless could become a hero. I fight quirkless, all my quirk does is even out the playing field, and it doesn't even manage that if it's a mutant type quirk my opponent possesses." He looks down at Izuku, who seems to be hanging on to his ever word,  "It would take a lot of hard work before and after becoming one. But I think you could still become a hero."

And he means it. He really does. 

And just like that, Aizawa finds himself with a lap-full of sobbing child, this time at least, the tears are happy ones. 

---

---

Hawks tries not to be too surprised when the gate opens just before he can push the buzzer. He at least manages not to jump out of his skin but he will admit it has ruffled a few of his feathers. 

Once inside the building proper, Hawks is mentally preparing himself for the task that is wandering UA's halls in an attempt to find the princpal's office. However before he gets a change to set off, Hound Dog rounds a corner to meet him; likely assigned the task of guiding Hawks through the maze that is UA. 

 

"Hello Hound Dog." The winged hero greets with a two fingered salute. "Good to see you." 
"You as well Hawks, though I wish it were under better circumstances." The hound hero replies. "Nedzu is already waiting for us." 

The two walk the halls in a comfortable silence. School has long since let out for the day so the halls are empty. 

Once they arrive at Nedzu's office the door swings open for they can knock, just like the front gate had done. 

"Greetings Hawks!" Nedzu chirps in way of saying hello. "Am I a dog, a mouse or a bear? I'm the principal!"  
Hawks gives a slight yet respectful bow, "Principal Nedzu." He greets "thank you for taking the time to meet with me." 

Hound Dog follows Hawks as he makes his way into the office, the door swinging shut behind them.

"The pleasure is all mine, Hawks. Please take a seat," Nedzu replies, gesturing to the chairs situated in front of his desk, "And allow me to formally welcome you to UA."  
Hawks grins at the rat, "I must admit it's a nice place. Although it gives me some sort of fortress vibe, you know? Never mind the structure, with security this tight, you could be preparing for war and the Commission would have no idea." He comments. 

From beside him, Hound Dog shifts uncomfortably in his seat. 

Nedzu on the other hand (paw?) widens him smile to a near feral grin. "You're right. And I think you and I are going to get along swimmingly." 
"I'm partial to flying myself, wings and all, but to each their own." Hawks jokes with as shrug of his shoulders. 

Hound Dog utters what sounds like a dry chuckle. 

Nedzu is unfazed, "Of course. Before we discuss the true reason for this meeting, may I offer you some tea?" he asks. 
"I'd love some!" Hawks replies. 
"I shall have some a well." Hound Dog answers, just with much less enthusiasm.

Nedzu hops down from his desk chair and passes through a door to their left and out of sight. Moments later he returns holding a silver tray with three porcelain tea cups on it. He stops in front of the two men, who each take a steaming cup into their hands. 

"I made Earl Grey today. I hope it is to your liking." Nedzu explains, setting the tray off to the side on his desk. He makes his way back to his desk and once again into his chair (read: throne). 

As he raises his own cup to his lips a brief silence passes between the three. One must always take the time to properly enjoy tea after all. 

Setting his cup down, Nedzu puts his paws together and regards the two heroes before him, "Now then, to the true topic of this meeting."  

Hawk's expression goes serious, "Yes, there's a middle school that I think needs burnt to the ground." He declares. 

Hound Dog tries and fails to cover up chocking on his tea. 

Nedzu grins, beady eyes sparkling, "If only. However there are far more legal methods to use that you will find work just as well, although they're much less satisfying." The rat counters, "After all, we can't have pro heroes committing arson and getting caught, now can we?" 

Hawks is starting to realize the rumors he heard about Nedzu weren't hyperbole or tall tales.
Hound Dog has long since started regretting entering this room. 

"You have a point. Too bad." Hawks replies, sighing over dramatically, "I'm sure Eraserhead and the Detective would have loved to help us out."
 "I'm sure." Nedzu agrees, chuckling lightly. Although the sound is more of a manic giggle,  "Justified incendiarism aside, I must ask how involved do you plan to be with this case?"  

Hawks sits back in his chair. "I won't lie and say the Hero Commission supports my involvement. However I've become personally invested in this case. I took a liking to the kid, and I'm no stranger to the darker side of our 'illustrious hero society'." The winged hero explains. 

"A perspective I can appreciate." Nedzu replies, "As for the Commission I'd be more than happy to help you out with that little problem." The rat offers. 

Hawks lets out a bark of laughter, "I don't doubt it. But for now I think it's best we ignore them. They hate that the most I've come to learn. My question is how involved do you intend on being with this case?" 

Hawks can't help but think the look on Nedzu's face is somewhat disappointed. Regardless, it passes too quickly to be fully assessed. 

"I intend to help in any way I can. Especially on the legal front. This case has the potential to be a disaster, there can be no doubt. 'A quirkless child abused by his quirkist peers and teachers, to the point he suffers a psychotic break; resulting in an attack on the school, complete with ten deaths and over two dozen wounded'. It doesn't paint a pretty picture for our society, now does it?" Nedzu points out.

"Be that as it may, there are plenty of people and organizations out there that would prefer this be swept under the rug, so to speak, which would surely come at the detriment to our young friend. My intentions are to ensure he receives the justice he deserves, however extreme it turns out to be, and see to it that this doesn't happen again." 

"A problem I see is that the boy is a minor, so too much publicity could go sour quickly. Not to mention his parents/guardians will have their own views and opinions on the whole matter." Hound Dog interjects, "The other problem is there are no doubt many who want to see him held responsible for his actions. Something that I intend to evaluate the viability of. If this is indeed a psychotic break as you all have observed, chances are he cannot be deemed mentally sound at the time of execution. Thus any legal proceedings will be null and void." 

"So step one is to get the boy evaluated, along with speaking to his parents or guardians." Hawks summarizes. 

"That is correct. And Eraserhead informed me that you intend to accompany Hound Dog to see Midoriya as well." Nedzu continues. "As well as his request for coffee and a change of clothes." He adds with a smirk. 
"Yep, I promised little Izuku that I would meet him at the hospital. And that's a promise I intend to keep." Hawks replies. 
"I wish to also accompany you, so as to speak with the staff and potentially his guardian." Nedzu informs. 
"Here's hoping Midoriya is stable enough for visitors." Hound Dog comments.
"That's all up to the staff and Eraserhead." Hawks points out, "We should be on our way soon though. It's getting late." 

"I sent a message to Present Mic to handle Eraserhead's request. He should be arriving now!" Nedzu chirps. 

And right on cue, the door swings open of its own accord to reveal a frazzled Present Mic clutching a to-go cup of coffee and a plastic bag that presumably holds Eraserhead's uniform. 

"Dang, you get me with that every time Principle Nedzu!" Mic comments faintly. 

"I aim to please!" Nedzu says with a cheery smile. One that somehow makes the whole situation even more unsettling, "Thank you for retrieving what was requested Yamada-san." 

Hawks steps forward to take the aforementioned items from the voice hero, along with offer his own word of thanks. Present Mic then makes a hasty retreat. 

Nedzu hops down from his desk chair and joins them all by the door, "Now then, shall we be off?" 

---

---

Aizawa sat there with Izuku on his lap as the kid colored. He got through the simple pages rather quickly. But it wasn't the coloring Aizawa found most interesting. 

It was Izuku's quiet rambling. 

Each new hero he would start coloring would prompt him to start mumbling to himself about them. But this wasn't your typical fanboy ranting. These were well thought out points and theories, references to specific villain battles, observations of and even suggestions for support items. 
This was analysis. And it was excellent. 

 

There's a soft knock at the door, interrupting Izuku's coloring. 
Aizawa looks to Izuku for confirmation, and upon getting a nod calls out, "Come in." 

The door opens slowly and a familiar face walks in. 

"Hello Stephan."Aizawa greets, then addresses Izuku, "Izuku this is Stephan, you might remember him from the ambulance ride over here." He explains. 

Izuku looks a bit confused, but nods. 

Stephan had gone off to talk to his superiors about getting assigned to Izuku's case. He felt it would be beneficial to have Izuku introduced to someone who was also quirkless. That and he had taken a personal interest in the case itself. Stephan wanted to help as best he could. 

He was certified and qualified across a multitude of specialties. Stephan's vast skillset and expertise would enable them to limit how many people Izuku had to be exposed to during his time at Hero's Retreat. It would be less stressful that way for all partied involved. 

"Hello Eraser, hello Izuku. It's good to see you two again." Stephan replies with a smile, "I'm here to see about taking Izuku's vitals now that he's settled in better. Is that okay?" 
Izuku eyes him for a long moment, then looks up at Aizawa. 
Sensing the unspoken question, the hero speaks up, "He's just here to help you Izuku. Stephan won't hurt you." He assures.
Izuku looks back to the blond who still stands in the doorway, not having entered what is now considered Izuku's space. 

"You- you're going to-to help m-me get-t bet-tter?" Izuku asks the young man hesitantly.
"Absolutely!" Stephan replies earnestly, "After all, us quirkless have to stick together." 

Izuku's viridian eyes go wide, "Y-you're qu-quirkless?" He asks in disbelief. 
"I sure am! Complete with the extra to joint and everything." Stephan answers, dramatically pointing at a lifted foot. 

Both feet are wearing Primordial brand shoes. These ones are also red high tops like Izuku's, except one foot has blue laces and one foot has purple laces. 

Aizawa can feel Izuku practically vibrating with excitement at this revelation. "Just- just like me." He says in a low, awe filled tone. 
"Exactly like you. So what do you say? Am I okay to come in the room?" Stephan asks again, grinning. 
"Ye-yep. You c-can c-come in." Izuku tells him, smiling back at the blond haired nurse. 

Stephan takes the answer for the 'go ahead' that it is and slowly makes his way into the room. 

After once again asking Izuku's permission, he sits down in the cushion to their left and begins the process of taking the teen's vitals. As he goes about taking Izuku's blood pressure and pulse, listening to his breathing etc; he makes casual conversation with the greenette. 

Izuku asks him who his favorite hero is, to which Stephan replies with Sir Nighteye of all people. Though it's less of a surprise when Aizawa gets to listen to Izuku launch into a lengthy, but detailed explanation of the hero's quirk and it's uses, and how he fights basically quirkless. 

The two men quickly learn that Izuku is a walking hero encyclopedia; his vast knowledge is beyond impressive. It makes Aizawa a bit nervous for the impeding meeting between the teen and Nedzu.  

Aizawa himself, having worked with Nighteye on occasion, gives them his own observations of the man's fighting style. As it turns out, thanks to working in a hero hospital, Stephan has also met Sir Nighteye. 

Izuku then asks Stephan what other heroes he has met, and what they were like. Stephan happily tells him all about his experiences, even after he's finished with his original tasks. Stephan talks about his two best friends who are pro heroes, one underground and one a side kick who works both underground and spotlight. He pointedly doesn't mention his own escapades in vigilantism alongside them. Or how those adventures are the real reason he knows who Eraserhead is. 

Stephan skillfully dodges around the topic of growing up quirkless, and the bullying and discrimination he suddenly faced when he moved to Japan over seas. Instead he talks about how in other places in the world there are more quirkless people and about his friends he has that are as well. Stephan doesn't mention how his father was in the police force and taught him how to hold his own in a fight, to stand up for himself and not take their shit lying down. 

Izuku hasn't lost his kindness after all, something society seems determined to beat out of those it deems 'weak' or 'inferior' according to its twisted standards. It's best not to ruin the boy's world view too much. Although given the circumstances leading up to their meeting, it may be a bit too late for that. 

Stephan doesn't talk about how he was mainly hired at a hero hospital because, without a quirk, he couldn't possibly pose a threat to its patients (despite this being completely untrue). He instead talks about how none of his coworkers, or the heroes he meets, really care about his quirk status. Because at the end of the day, Stephan works in a life saving and clinically crucial profession and his skills speak for themselves every single day.

Izuku, for his part, soaked the attention up like a sponge. He was clearly enjoying the conversation, hanging off of Stephan's every word. He eagerly held up his side of the conversation, his ever present stutter giving way to his excitement. There was a bright smile of Izuku's face, it was nice to see the kid smiling after all that had happened. As he would speak, one hand would wave in the air, light catching on the red feather he received from Hawks and has yet to let go of. The other hand remains intertwined with his length of capture weapon, fingers fidgeting with the fabric idly.  

They sat there talking long after Stephan had finished all that he originally came to do. It was clear that the young man was fully invested in Izuku and his situation. Aizawa was content to just sit back and listen as the two conversed. 

 

While the two were talking, Aizawa's phone vibrates with an incoming message. 

As discreetly as he can, the hero unlocks his phone and reads it: 

 

Tsukauchi Naomasa: I spoke with the boy's mother. Things just got simpler and more complicated at the same time. 

Tsukauchi Naomasa: I understand you're probably tied up with him. Please call me at your earliest convenience. Further discussion can wait until then. 

 

So Naomasa has already spoken with Izuku's mother. And from the sounds of it, the call didn't go as expected. Regardless, he's right about Shouta being tied up with Izuku. Not that Shouta minds. He's a great kid. 

Is he getting attached? Definitely. It's a good thing the two probably won't be separated for quite some time. 

As such, it's going to be a while until he can call Naomasa. Perhaps Shouta can get Hawks to distract him later? There's an idea. 

Much like everything else, it'll all depend on Izuku. 

---

There's another knock at the door, once again heralding a new arrival. 

Still seated in Aizawa's lap, Izuku goes still. He looks up at the door then to Aizawa. Stephan sees his hesitation and speaks up, "I can go answer the door if you'd like? Make sure they're safe." He offers. 

Izuku gladly takes him up on it and nods, half dry green curls bouncing with the movement

Stephan then stands and makes his way over to the door, upon reaching said door he opens it slightly. As words are exchanged, a familiar voice can be heard. 
Then Stephan opens the door to reveal Hawks, with two others that can be seen standing behind him. 

The winged hero doesn't make any move to enter the room, simply settling for smirking at Izuku from his place in the doorway. Stephan stands by him, holding the door open. 

"H-Hawks!" Izuku exclaims. Aizawa doesn't miss how the kid's stutter has returned. So much for that. 
"The one and only. I told you I'd meet you here didn't I?" Hawks replies. 
Izuku nods eagerly. "Y-you did. A-and you c-came!" he says happily. 

It's almost as if Izuku had expected to be let down from the start. 

"Of course I did. And I brought some friends with me to help you get better and keep you safe." Hawks elaborates, "They're pro heroes too, and they're really nice. Can they come in?" he asks the teen.

"H-heroes? What- Who are they?" Izuku asks.
"I have Hound Dog and Nedzu with me today. Hound Dog is going to be our doctor of sorts and Nedzu wants to help be cause he's really smart." Hawks answers, stepping aside so Izuku can see the two heroes behind him.  

Aizawa can hear Izuku's surprised gasp and mumbling of "Nedzu. Nedzu's really here?" 

Seems the kid likes Nedzu. Great. Just what the rat needs. Scratch that, just what the world needs. Not.

 

"They- they can come in." Izuku permits. 
"Great! Thanks Izuku." Hawks replies cheerily 

"You're doing good kid, really good." Aizawa says, soft enough for only Izuku to hear. "Let me know if you want them to leave and we'll have them leave. We don't want to make you uncomfortable. Okay?" 

"O-Okay." Comes the shaky reply.

Hawks then waltzes into the room, wings tucked close to his back, hands at his sides where Izuku can see them. He is followed by the larger form of Hound Dog, who has Nedzu perched on his right shoulder. 

Stephan takes this as his cue to leave, "I'll be going now Izuku. I shall see you later okay?" 

Izuku nods, "O-okay. Bye Stephan." He says, waving. 

The heroes slowly make their way over to where Aizawa and Izuku are sitting, telegraphing their movements. Hawks and Hound Dog walk one behind the other, so as not to crowd him. 

"Hello!" Nedzu greets in a chipper tone, waving a paw, "You must be Izuku!" 
Izuku nods, eyes bright "H-hello." 
Nedzu hops down from his place on Hound Dog's shoulder, "Am I a dog, a mouse or a bear? I'm-" 
"You're Nedzu." Izuku interrupts. 
Nedzu hesitates only but a moment, "Pardon?" 
"The answer to your question, you're Nedzu." Izuku repeats matter-of-factly. 
Nedzu's grin sharpens, "Right you are! You're a clever one I see. Wonderful!" 

Aizawa is definitely regretting letting these two meet. Ever. 

"Don't forget about me now." Hound Dog cuts in, "It's nice to meet you Izuku-kun. I'm Hound Dog as you know. You may also call me Inui if that's easier."  
"N-nice to m-meet you Inui-san." Izuku replies, pressing himself against Aizawa slightly. 

Seeing his rising nervousness, Aizawa offers his hand to Izuku, letting it rest on his own knee at the kid's side. Izuku silently takes it with his own, and the hero gives it a gently squeeze.

"Is it okay if we sit down with you Izuku?" Hawks asks. 

"Y-you can si-sit." Izuku tells them. 

The heroes all move to take a seat on the floor. Nedzu takes the now empty cushion while Hawks and Hound Dog sit directly on the tile, neither of them showing any signs of minding having to sit on the hard surface. 

"Now that we are all settled, I have some questions I'd like to ask you Izuku. As a doctor, your answers to them will allow me to know how we can best help you get better and to keep you safe. Is that alright with you if I ask them?" Hound Dog inquires. 

Izuku looks at Aizawa, who nods encouragingly. Izuku then gives the hound hero a nod of his own. 

"Wonderful." Hound Dog replies, reaching into his coat to pull out a notepad and pen,  "And I would like to take notes so I don't forget anything. Is that okay as well?" 

"Th-that's fine. I-I like taking n-notes too." Izuku replies. 
"Thank you. Now then, to start, why don't you tell me about yourself. Things you like, don't like, hobbies. Stuff like that." 

Izuku squirms in place while he thinks a moment, still fiddling with Aizawa's hand. "I-I like to analyze heroes an' qu-quirks in my no-notebooks. I find it all re-really fascinate-nating. I-I like learning b-but I don't really l-like school. Every-everyone is m-mean and s-some of th-them like to hurt-t me. I-I like kat-katsudon and m-my favorite color is r-red. Um... Is-is that-t enough?" he then asks hesitantly as he finishes. 
Inui gives him a soft look, "That's plenty if you have no more to add. Thank you for sharing." 

"I'm intrigued as to these analysis notebooks you mentioned." Nedzu chimes in, "perhaps you'll have to show me some time." 
Izuku perks up, "Okay! No-no one usually w-wants to s-see them. B-but if you-you want t-to you c-can." 
Nedzu is undeterred, "Excellent. I shall make note of it for the future." 

"Next are the basics, how old are you Izuku?" Inui asks. 
"I'm 15 sir." 

"And you are in your final year of junior high correct?" 
Izuku nods, "Y-yes." Understandably uncomfortable at the mention of school.

"And who do you live with?" Inui asks, moving right along. 
"I-I live at h-home with my-my mom. My d-dad l-left when I-I was di-diagnosed qu-quirkless" Izuku answers, lowering his head. 

"His loss if you ask me. I think you're great regardless." Hawks comments, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Izuku smiles at him, so it seems to have worked. 

 

"Time for the more clinical questions, all of these are in relation to the last two weeks or so." Inui begins, "Have you had trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or have you been sleeping too much?"
Izuku looks down at his lap, "I-I haven't b-been sleep-ing very-very well. Use-usually I-I just c-can't fall as-asleep." 

"Okay, how about poor appetite or eating too much?" 
"I've on-only really eaten a-a meal or s-so a d-day for the-the past week. I'm use-usually n-not all that hun-hungry. And m-mom isn't h-home in t-time to make dinner m-most nights, s-so usually I-I just don't f-feel like m-making something for-for just my-myself." Izuku explains. 

Inui makes note of his mother's lack of presence as well. Aizawa doesn't seem to be overly impressed in that regard. 

"Have you taken little interest or pleasure in doing things recently?"
Izuku looks up, a thoughtful expression on his face, "I-I started read-reading over my-my n-notebooks a lot m-more to dis-distract my-myself, but I-I felt like I-I kept sp-spacing out a-and wasn't real-really focused on it-it. Kinda l-like h-how my head would g-get all floaty and fuzzy during other t-times." 

"To clarify, what other times are you referring to, Izuku?" Inui asks. 
"L-like when I'm r-really into an-an analysis or wh-when I'm b-being picked on or b-be-at up-p." Izuku tells him. 

Those two instances don't quite line up to both be a cause of what they've been assuming up until now was severe disassociation. Perhaps its worth looking further into or to be looked at from a different angle. 

 

"Thank you for explaining. Now, have you been feeling down, depressed or hopeless?" 
Izuku nods, "Yes? Th-that's always a-a th-thing though. It's n-not l-like my life is ex-exactly the-the greatest-t." He states simply, like he hadn't been pushed to the point of a psychotic break earlier that day. 

 

Inui nods, keeping his face neutral, "What about feeling nervous, anxious or on edge?" 
Izuku shifts in his seat a little, looking back down at his and Aizawa's hands, "I'm al-always n-nervous, but I-I have b-been more jum-jumpy and on-on edge than use-ususal I-I guess. I-I feel l-like some-something is wa-watching me s-sometimes, even th-though I'm al-alone. It's even on the-the d-days I-I d-don't h-have school. But wo-worse on the d-days I-I do." 

Sounds like the boy has paranoia and hyper vigilance then. Not that they can fault him for it. 

"I see. And have you been feeling afraid, as if something awful might or is going to happen?" 
Izuku nods, looking back up, "I've b-been feeling an-anxious over some-something c-coming since the-the v-voice told me he'd m-make the hur-hurting stop. B-but I-I just th-thought that w-was m-my ususal re-reaction to an up-upcoming event; being nervous a-and anxious I-in anti-cipati-tion." 

Inui takes note of heightened anxiety on his paper, "Okay, were you ever so restless that it was hard to keep still?" 
"I-I usually h-have a h-hard t-time k-keeping still, b-but I'm getting bet-better. I-I can't make too-too m-much noise or-or I'll an-noy m-my teachers and cl-classmates." Izuku tells him. 

To think he is that conscious of 'annoying' others. And clearly afraid of what happens when he does so. It leaves a bad taste in Aizawa's mouth. Nedzu's smile slips slightly also.

 

Inui presses on regardless, "Were you easily distracted or had trouble concentrating or staying on track?"  
Izuku nods, "I-I often h-have trouble con-concentrating or g-get dis-distracted easily. B-but sometimes wh-when I'm d-doing certain th-things I'll s-space out f-for a while, m-my head 'll get all fuzzy and floaty. It's w-weird be-because n-normally th-that only hap-pens when I'm in-n pain or b-being b-beat up-p." He comments. 

This is definitely something to look farther into then. Inui makes a special note of it. It's also alarming that it happens often enough Izuku can gauge when it should and shouldn't happen.

"Ever feeling bad about yourself or that you are a failure?" he asks, not really wanting to hear the answer. 
Izuku shifts and gives him a puzzled look, "Y-you m-mean I-I shouldn't feel b-bad ab-about my-myself? I'm useless, worthless, quirkless Deku. Ever-everyyone al-always t-tells me th-that. I-Is it-t really a 'feeling' if it's th-the t-truth?" Izuku asks honestly. 

Aizawa tightens his hold on Izuku briefly and the other heroes reign in their anger. This poor kid doesn't deserve any of this shit. Hawks was right when he said the school needs to burn. 

"That's the thing Izuku," Aizawa speaks up, "It's not the truth. You're not worthless or useless. They just couldn't see that. They refused to see that." He tells him, knowing his words this one time won't change a lifetime of impressions. 
"R-really?" Izuku asks, sounding hopeful.

"I agree with Aizawa. You're clearly very smart. I'm sure with the proper teacher you could do many great things." Nedzu adds.  

Aizawa gets the feeling the rat want to be that teacher. Sigh. 

"O-okay. Thanks." Izuku says softly, sounding shell shocked. 

"Last one for now. Any thoughts of hurting yourself or that you would be better off dead?" This is always one of the hardest questions to ask. 

Izuku thinks a moment before speaking, "S-sometimes when I-I get really w-worked up, I-I scratch at-t m-my arms and use-usually th-they b-bleed. I kn-know it's b-bad to d-do that but I-I just can't h-help it-t at the t-time. The-the voice al-always scolds m-me th-though.
"B-but I've n-never seriously th-thought of-of k-killing my-myself, even th-though Kacchan s-said th-the other-other d-day th-that I should t-try it t-to get a-a quirk in-n my n-next life. And th-the others l-leave mean m-messages-s an-and spider lilies on-on my d-desk some-sometimes. They're n-nice flowers th-though, so I don't m-mind too m-much. I know I'm n-not d-dead." He explains, oblivious to the looks of horror the adults around him are wearing,  
"But wh-when I-I came b-back after the voice m-made the hurting s-stop,  and I-I saw h-how m-many people I-I hurt and wanted to be-because I-I deserve i-it. But I couldn't. M-my head really start-started h-hurting and the v-voice got really really m-mad at m-me. T-told me I-I have to sur-survive, h-have to st-stay safe." 

Ah yes, that's the other thing, this 'voice'. It's beginning to sound more and more like a protective personality of some sort. 

"I see. And was it the voice who encouraged you to take the measures you did today?" Inui asks, wording his question carefully. He doesn't want to press Izuku, but they need answers.  

It was the next topic on the list after all. 

"I-I didn't w-want to hurt or k-kill any-anybody! It was him! He was the one who did it. He made me do it." Izuku exclaims. 

The adults in the room all exchange brief looks. 

"To be clear Izuku, who made you do it?" Hound Dog asks. 
Izuku perks up, "The voice! I started hearing him speak to me about two weeks ago. He said we needed to make the hurting stop, and that he knew how." He explains, stutter fading in place of his growing excitement, "So I let him. Then when he was doing it things got all floaty and fuzzy again. He did things that I don't think I could have been able to do. And when I came back everything was already done and there was so much red." 

So Izuku is hearing a voice in his head. A voice that seems to have good intentions but terrible methods. Methods and actions that Izuku's still having trouble fully grasping the weight of. To him right now, the most important thing is that he is no longer being hurt. The real challenge will come with time, when Izuku eventually does feel the weight of what he's done; be it his 'voice' who did it or him. 

 

"The voice told you to do it? Or said he would do it?" the hound hero asks. 
"He said he would stop us from being hurt. And I really wanted it to stop, so I let him." Izuku replies. "That was bad though wasn't it? Was it? I made the hurting stop! And that's good!" he continues. 

"While hurting others is never a good thing. I can understand that you were desperate. After all they had been hurting you for a long time," Hound Dog tells him, trying to stay objective in his opinion, "And now you're here to be kept safe and to get help so something like this doesn't happen ever again." 
"Aren't I in trouble though? Am I going to get arrested?" he asks, breathing picking up in rising panic. 

That is the last think they intend to let happen. Having Izuku locked away will do him no favors. It's just getting other's to realize that. 

"You're not going to be arrested. And you're not in trouble right now. Don't worry too much about it and focus on getting better okay?" Nedzu says to him, smile ever present. 
"O-okay." Izuku replies shakily, still seemingly unconvinced. And who can really blame him.

"That's all the questions I had for now." Inui then says "Thank you for answering all of them Izuku." 

Izuku nods shyly, but says nothing. 

"Before we finish up though, I would like to ask about this 'voice' you keep mentioning." The hound hero continues. 

Izuku perks up a bit, "W-what do y-you want to-to know?" 

Hound Dog thinks a moment before asking his first question, "Have you always been able to hear them?" 
Izuku shakes his head, "Nope. I-I started hear-hearing him a-a few week-ks ag-go. Af-after the s-sludge inci-incident" he answers. 

Inui nods, taking note of this so called 'sludge incident', "And is he a nice voice? Or is he a mean voice?" 
Izuku's face scrunches in thought, "He's n-nice to me. But h-he he can be mean a-about other people." 

"And what kinds of things does he say or tell you? Other than when he made the hurting stop?" Inui inquires further. 
"All kinds of helpful things!" Izuku exclaims, "He se-ems ob-obsessed with want-ting to keep-p me s-safe. So-so some-sometimes he re-reminds me of-of things I-I I  have learned to-to do to not g-get beat up-p as b-bad. Like-like keep-p my-my arms in-in front of my f-face, or cur-curl my legs-s up to pro-protect my t-torso. He als-also g-gives tips-s when I-I'm treat-ting my in-injuries too."

From the sounds of it, this 'voice' is some sort of protective personality for Izuku. He has likely developed it as a result of all the trauma he has experienced.  

However Izuku isn't finished, "B-but today he-he got really really angry, saying bad th-things about people wh-while making the h-hurting s-stop. All I-I could do was-was watch h-him. That's the f-first time any-anything like th-that h-has happened. An-and he s-seemed so m-much better th-than I-I am. More skilled? I-I dunno."

Before Inui can respond, Aizawa has a question of his own, "You said while we were on the floor and I used my quirk that I 'made him go away'? What did you mean by that?" he asks. 
"Oh!" Izuku chirps, "He w-was telling m-me that wh-what h-he did n-needed to be done. Th-that it was to m-make the h-hurting stop. 'For the sake of survival'. But also I-I needed to-to be careful a-and that I-I shouldn't tr-trust you. We-we usually can-can't trust ad-adults. He w-was getting r-really insi-insistent, an-and he w-was trying to-to take control ag-again. Then y-you used y-your quirk and sc-scared him off!" Izuku explains. 

The fact that Erasure, a quirk the nullifies other quirks, was what calmed this 'voice' raises some questions. But Izuku's quirkless. So maybe it was just the visual? 
A quick look at the other heroes in the room tells Aizawa that he's not the only one with this line of thinking. 

"I see," Inui finally says, "Do you think you can tell Aizawa if you start to hear him again Izuku-kun?" he then asks. 
Izuku nods, "I-I guess." 

"Great. Thank you. You've done very well today. I'm impressed." The hound hero compliments. 

Izuku seems to preen slightly at the praise. "T-thank you." 

"And with that I'd say we are done for now." Hound Dog declares. 

The hero stands up and returns his notepad to his coat. 

Izuku frowns in disappointment. "You-you're l-leaving?" he asks hesitantly. 

"I don't know about these two, but I planned to hang out with you for a while. If you want me to." Hawks replies. 

"Yeah!" Izuku exclaims, voice dripping excitement, "Can-can you t-tell me ab-about your qu-quirk?" he then asks. 

"Absolutely buddy!" Hawks answers, "I sure can."

"I unfortunately need to be going." Hound Dog tells him, "But you will see me again soon. Don't worry. I'll let you ask your questions then." he assures. 

"Alright." Izuku replies, "Be safe!" 

"I will, pup, thanks." Hound Dog replies, before taking his leave of the room. 

 

"I can stay with you for a while as well, if you'd like." Nedzu offers, sending a knowing look in Aizawa's direction, "And perhaps while we discuss quirks, you can let Aizawa stretch his legs?" he suggests. 

Izuku goes still. Slowly, shakily, he looks up at his hero, "Y-you want to-to l-leave?" 

Shit. 

"I actually need to make a trip to the bathroom if that's alright with you. I'll come straight back." Aizawa quickly elaborates. 

Izuku doesn't respond, just looks down at his hands. 

Thinking fast, Aizawa speaks up, "How about this, while I'm gone you can hold on to my capture weapon? That was you know I'm coming back. And it can help keep you safe while I'm gone." 

Izuku seems intrigued by the suggestion. 

"And don't forget, you still have my feather. It can help too." Hawks reminds him. "Along with me of course." 

"You also won't be alone while he's gone, both me and Hawks will be here with you still." Nedzu points out, "And I'm sure you have plenty of questions about our quirks, yes? Do you study them in those analysis notebooks you mentioned?" 

This catches Izuku's attention, "Yes! I do! I love analyzing quirks!" he replies, "can-can we do th-that while he-he's gone?" 

"Certainly!" Nedzu agrees. 

"You bet!" Hawks echoes. 

Izuku looks up at Aizawa from his place still in the man's lap, "You can go. I-I think I'll be-be okay. Can-can you l-leave you-your sc-scarf?" he asks. 

"I sure can Izuku." Aizawa confirms. "Can you hop up for me?" he then asks. 

"You can come sit on me if you'd like Izuku!" Hawks offers, "I may not be as comfy as Eraserhead though."

Izuku smiles, "O-Okay." 

The teen shakily gets up, with a bit of support from Aizawa. He then makes his way over to Hawks and sits down in the winged hero's lap. In one hand he still holds the feather he was given and the other hand clutches his length of capture weapon.

"Comfy?" Hawks asks. 
Izuku beams up at him, "Yep!" 

 

Aizawa then stands up himself, ignoring the creaking of his knees and cracking of his back. He's not old enough for these things to happen, damn it. 
The hero then walks over to Izuku and removes his capture weapon. Carefully he lowers it over Izuku's head and lets it rest around his neck. 
It's, quite frankly, huge on the teen; some strands falling off even his shoulders and instead hanging down around his arms. Now Izuku really looks like a kitten, one tangled in yarn. It's adorable, not that Aizawa would ever admit it out loud. 

"Alright Izuku. I'll be back soon. Be good." He says to him. 
"I will." Izuku assures, "Be safe!" he then says. 

Eraserhead can't even hide the fond smirk that crosses his face, "I will kid. See you soon." 

And with Izuku safe and comfortable in the presence of Nedzu and Hawks, Eraserhead leaves the room. 

Time to see what Tsukauchi needs to discuss with him. 

Notes:

Greetings my dudes!
And I'm back! Did you miss me?

A ton of effort and thought went into this chapter, I hope it turned out okay. I pulled the questions Hound Dog asked from some of the questionnaires in my old psychiatrist paperwork. Totally not how I thought those would come in handy.
Be that as it may, please do not use this to self diagnose. Seek professional help! I am not a mental health professional by any means.

With that out of the way, I shall repeat my earlier request. If anyone has ideas or things they want to see, drop them in the comments. Or I guess you could come tell me on my discord server. Either works.
This fic is mainly just self indulgence, as I've said before, so I figured why not indulge you guys too! It's more fun that way right? Maybe? I hope.

I gotta say I had a hell of a lot of fun coming up with the dynamic between Nedzu and Hawks. It feel like the two would get along too well. And poor Hound Dog got caught in the mix.
Oh and Stephan is back, as you can see. He's here to stay, he is one of my favorite OCs from my original work. I have two more that will surely be making appearances in the future. You have been warned, those three are the definition of chaos.

Izuku is just enjoying having so many heroes to talk to. I want to have him meet as many as possible. Just befriend all these heroes or something.
I will admit I'm regretting incorporating the stutter into his speech. I know it's necessary and would realistically be what anyone would suffer with in this situation, I know this.
But it is sooooo annoying to type now that we are three chapters in. Just saying.

Well this author's note turned into an epic ramble, as most of mine do.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Later
>>--->Arrow

Chapter 4: I Am Strengthened By My Fear

Summary:

I am strengthened by my fear
Bonded to what I hold dear
Having to choose
what not to lose
Is now my drive to persevere

~~
Discussions are had, phone calls are made.
Questions are raised about Izuku. Izuku's attachment to Eraserhead is made very clear.

Notes:

I'm back again with another chapter!

Once again, you guys are amazing! The feedback is really overwhelming. But it also makes me more motivated to write. So thanks again for all your awesome comments!

And to clarify, the poems at the beginning of the chapter summaries are not song quotes. They are stanzas of a poem I wrote a while back also titled Inside My Head.
Though I makes me feel awesome you guys thought it was a song.
I have another poem I will use once I get through all the stanzas of this one.

Now that you've read my ramble, go read!
And ENJOY!

Having left Izuku's room, Aizawa takes a moment to collect himself. 

Today has been...a lot. And from the looks of it, this is only the beginning. 

First thing's first, finding the items he asked Hawks to bring. After a quick look Aizawa finds a familiar bag sitting next to a to-go cup of coffee sitting on the ledge of the nurse's station's half wall. 

Upon walking over, Aizawa finds Hound Dog is actually still here, talking to the staff it would seem. 

They all look up at his approach. 

"I think this stuff is mine." Aizawa declares, gesturing to the drawstring bag he now knows for sure holds his uniform. 

"Yes, that is the stuff Hawks brought with him. Present Mic collected it for you." Hound Dog confirms. 

Great, Mic is probably wondering just what he's doing that he needs this stuff delivered. Typically Aizawa doesn't stick around after the initial rescuing. As far as he knew kids aren't really that fond of him. With the exception of Izuku it would seem. 

Although Izuku has proven to be the exception to a lot of things in the past few hours. 

"I was just speaking with the nurses about having me set up as Izuku's designated psychiatrist." Hound Dog explains, "And it seems that won't be an issue. The doctor they have on staff doesn't often treat children after all." 

Aizawa nods, taking a sip of his newly acquired coffee, "That's good to hear. We are going to need the best we can get on this case." He states, "Are you in any position to tell me your thoughts, or at least first impressions? And do you have any questions for me while I'm away from Izuku?" the tired hero asks. 

Hound Dog thinks a moment. 

"If it wasn't apparent already, it has now become clear now that Izuku is a victim of extensive abuse, mental, emotional and physical. What happened today was a result of him having reached his limit and finally snapping. I can't in good conscience place the blame solely on Izuku for doing something that in his unstable mental state was executed as an act of self defense." The hound hero explains. "However what I am most intrigued by is this 'voice' he claims to be hearing. A voice that seems to be hyper focused on prolonging survival. So much so that it prevented Izuku from attempting suicide. At first I thought it to be a protective personality of sorts, especially when Izuku proceeded to tell us it was this voice that carried out the events of this afternoon, and not Izuku himself." 

Aizawa nods, "I was thinking something similar. But two things struck me as illogical to that end. I'm sure you caught them as well?" he infers. 

Inui nods, "I believe I did. The most prevalent being Izuku's claims that this voice did things that Izuku doesn't think himself physically capable of doing. While I'm no expert, alternate personalities don't tend to enhance physical prowess. The second being it's response to Erasure specifically. Izuku told us that when you used your quirk, the voice was silenced." 

Aizawa nods, "Those were what I was referring to. I do distinctly recall when Izuku started spiraling, I activated my quirk and he seemed to come to his senses. I thought it was just the visual cue, the red glow giving him something to focus on in reality. But I did it twice. Both times yielded significant results." The tired hero explains. 

"And that is why I don't want to rule out the possibility of this 'voice' being part of a manifested quirk. I am aware that the boy is quirkless, however given the prolonged abuse he suffered..." 

"A forcibly manifested quirk could be a possibility." Eraserhead finished for him. "And if that's the case, if this turns out to be a quirk manifestation then-" 

"Then just like four to six year olds that have dangerous quirks manifest, Izuku cannot by law be held legally responsible for his actions." Hound Dog concludes. "Yet even if that is not the case, the boy is clearly not in a sound state of mind. Labeling him a killer and locking him away would be cruel and simply avoiding the issue. This case needs to be given the attention to detail that a situation this complex deserves." 

"And I think we both know that there's at least five of us already on board and ready to fight for Izuku." Aizawa points out. 

Hound Dog chuckles, "Hawks did tell Nedzu he thinks Aldera needs, and I quote, 'burnt to the ground'." 

Aizawa gives him a slightly horrified look, expression only changing in his usual subdued manner, "And don't tell me that's what the rat intends to do." 

Inui shakes his head, "He did express that he felt the idea, while the more satisfying out come, would not be the most ideal way of settling the matter. And personally I think that by the time those two are finished with this case, the school will wish they left it at only burning their campus down." 

"I can't help but agree with you." Aizawa replies, "That said, I need to get changed then I have a phone call to make. And I don't want to leave Izuku without me for too long." 

"Ah, yes. I did not mean to keep you. I shall update you on any further developments. And I'm sure Detective Tsukauchi will also be keeping you posted. Have a good evening Eraserhead." Hound Dog bids him farewell. 

And this that conversation done and over with, Aizawa set himself to accomplishing his next tasks. 

Getting changed and calling his husband. 

---

---

Inui Ryo, aka Hound Dog, has seen many things over the course of his hero career. He's seen abuse cases, neglect cases, violent out bursts, psychotic break downs and even mental shut downs. He's seen the depressed, the traumatized, the crazed, the anxious and terrified and those who have simply given up. 

And nothing hurts his heart more then to see any of those things in a child. There's a certain look in said children's eyes that is just different, just off. Whether they've seen too much or simply don't want to see anymore, there's a certain darkness present that has no right to be present in the eyes of someone so young. Children are meant to be innocent, not haunted.

Yet, there are also the occasional cases that involve people like Izuku; victims that haven't given up, that haven't had the light stolen from their eyes. There are the survivors, the fighters, the escapees and the rescued. They possess a look all their own. It's something akin to curiosity and expectation. They are looking for a reason to keep going, proof that the entire world isn't like the hell they've lived. And they search for it in their own cautious, careful, and yet still child like manner. 

Right now, Izuku is conducting that search. It's the reason he latched onto Eraserhead, the pro hero who was the one who finally came to Izuku's rescue. It's the reason he opened up and answered the questions Inui asked him. It's the reason he stutters and trembles and catalogues everyone's every movement. It's the reason he hasn't truly grasped what he has done or fully accepted why he had to do it. 

Having opened up to the heroes who wish to help him, Hawks, Nedzu, Eraserhead and Hound Dog himself, Izuku has placed a substantial yet fragile trust in them. One that will make or break the child for good. 

And damn it, does Inui intend to do everything he can to honor that trust, to keep the teen from falling back apart and shattering irreparably. 

However this case will take more than determination alone to handle and solve. It has the complexity that can be likened to a multilayered explosive. It needs to be approached carefully, delicately, from all angles and yet one section at a time. It will need to be evaluated, dissected, solved and defused one layer at a time, slowly and patiently. All the while, one wrong move means it and everything around it will go up in flames. 

This was an attack on a school that was executed by one of it's own students. Said student, unlike most of those in similar situations, is still alive. And there weren't just injuries, there were deaths at their hands. And yet this student has suffered at the hands of their fellow classmates and at the whims of their teachers for years. So much so they cannot be deemed to be of a sound state of mind. So where does the blame truly fall? On the abusers who pushed one teen too far? Or on the teen that snapped and as a result lashed out violently? Or both? 

To add fuel to the fire, Izuku is quirkless. This now brings in the underlying issue of the treatment of the quirkless and those deemed to possess 'weak' or 'villainous' quirks by society as a whole. This in and of itself is a hell of a lot to unpack. Now you take someone who was deemed lesser by society, and they've gone and proven themselves a threat. Disrupted the natural order of things, to put it in a more crude manner. 

Then there's the matter of the school itself. There's no way Izuku was the only one suffering in such a way. Chances are that yes, he was probably the only quirkless student. However there are bound to be others that suffered discrimination and abuse because of their own quirk status. 

Along with this there's the fact that the other students were permitted, and in some cases encouraged, to prey on the weak. Those with stronger quirks must have been given preferential treatment over those seen to be without them. In such a cycle, the teachers are just as bad as the students that were beating their fellow students into the ground and mocking them day after day. And yet they themselves were victims of that same discrimination and failure, having been taught that such ways were acceptable. 

Without a shadow of a doubt, this entire case is a clusterfuck. 

To start with, Inui decided to read over his notes on Izuku's answers. Somehow Izuku has never been psychologically evaluated in the past. Another way he has been failed. 

 It was clear the boy has some sort of anxiety disorder. Potentially some sort of ADHD or ADD. He is terrifyingly intelligent. He is undeniably depressed and certainly has PTSD from his years of mistreatment. 

And then there's the psychotic break and the 'voice'. 

The more Inui looks at it and thinks about it, this is the perfect set up for a forcibly manifested quirk. And as horrible as it is to say, this would be the best circumstance for Izuku. If this were to be credited as a quirk manifestation incident there is no way Izuku could be held legally responsible. Just like 4-6 year olds are not held responsible when their quirk first manifests. Izuku's is just late. 

Ten years too late.  

Inui also wants to find more information about this 'Kacchan' Izuku mentioned, and the 'sludge incident' he was apparently involved in. Having more details to work with on this topic will also help get the whole picture surrounding Izuku's current state. 

For now Inui wants to start treating the anxiety and if necessary prescribe a sleep aid for Izuku. The teen will either be sleeping a lot, after coming down from the mental high that his psychotic break has brought about, or not be able to sleep because he's still too wound up from the insistent. There's a chance of going back and forth between the two as well. He will also need to have something prescribed to be taken in the event of another episode., for both Izuku's safety and the safety of others. 

After sorting out the medication to prescribe Izuku and sending it over to the hospital, Hound Dog can look forward to a long conversation with the lead of the case. Which will no doubt make for an even longer night. `

---

---

Aizawa closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, for this moment allowing coffee to monopolize all of his senses. It's been one hell of a day. And there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. 

Right now Aizawa is enjoying his coffee while it is still slightly warm. He just finished getting himself cleaned up and changed and is now blood free. Not that there was all that much on him, just what had rubbed off from Izuku's blood splattered uniform while he had been carrying and holding the teen. 

Sadly Aizawa can't relish in the coffee and his new change of clothes for very long. He has no way of knowing how long Izuku will last before he inevitably requires the hero's presence once more. And Aizawa still needs to call Detective Tsukauchi. According to his husband's text, he wanted to discuss something about Izuku's mother.
Joy. 

Deciding it would be illogical to delay the impending phone call any longer, Aizawa pulls his phone out of his utility belt and unlocks it.  Then after a few presses on the touch screen, he has lifted the phone to his ear and is listening to the generic ringing that denotes the call is in process. 

"Detective Tsukauchi speaking." The monotone answer is heard, cutting off the rings. 

"Hey Nao, you wanted me to call you?" Shouta answers. 

"Oh, yes I did. Give me a few moments to relocate." Comes the reply, along wtih muffled footsteps and voices that can be heard after. 

Then theres the sound of a door being closed forcefully, the door frame of Tsukauchi's office having been out of alignment for years now, and the ruffling of fabric denoting his husband having sat down. 

"Okay, I'm alone now." Naomasa tells him. 

"That's good. I'm sure it's been just as long of a day for you as well." Shouta replies. 

Naomasa sighs, "I'd say you have no idea, but I know you've had it worse than me." 

"I will admit Izuku clings to me like no child has ever before. I'm not quite sure what to think about it." Shouta admits. 

"In his eyes you saved him. And you're a good man. He has every right to cling to you." His husband tells him. 

Now it's Shouta's turn to sigh, "Flattery aside, I don't know how much time I have till said child will need me again. And you said you had something to discuss?" 

On his end of the phone, Naomasa sits up in his seat, glancing at the papers that had be signed not even thirty minutes prior. "I do. I spoke to Izuku's mother earlier. In fact she was here at the station half an hour ago." 

"Why do I get the feeling it wasn't for something good." Shouta mutters. 

"After having the situation explained to her, she felt she was ill suited and ill equipped to take care of Izuku." Naomasa explains simply, "She then stopped by the station after her shift at the hospital was over and signed away custody." 

That...wasn't what Shouta had expected to be told. 'Ill suited and ill equipped', that's a fancy way of putting she didn't think she could handle parenting her child any longer. Then again, being the parent of a quirkless child could not have been easy. And from the sounds of it, she wasn't doing the greatest job. 

"So that means we don't have to loop a parental figure into our plans for Izuku's care and protection. But it also means we don't have an official guardian to sign off on anything a present. Aside from you having temporary custody as the pro hero who rescued him. But that only lasts for forty-eight hours." Naomasa continues. 

"We can't let Izuku be put into the system, Nao, it could turn out even worse than school did." Shouta insists. 

He was in the system with a 'villain's quirk', he can only image what it would have been like for a quirkless child. 

"You're not wrong there, Shou. Try as we might, the system is far from perfect." Naomasa agrees. 

"That's under the assumption Izuku will let me out of his sight any time soon." Shouta then points out, casting a glance at the closed door to Izuku's room. 

"Aren't you away from him now...?" Naomasa asks, trailing off in confusion. 

"I am, but it took some convincing. He's with Hawks and Nedzu right now. Who the hell knows what those two are doing with him." Shouta takes a sip of his coffee while listening to Naomasa start coughing, having presumably started choking on his own. 

"You left him alone with those two?" His husband all but demands, words broken up with slight coughs still. 

"I didn't really have a choice. And from the looks of it, Izuku really likes Nedzu. And Nedzu has taken interest in Izuku, Along with that, Hawks is undeniably attached to the kid already." Not that he can blame the winged hero. 

"You say that like you aren't." Naomasa argues, "I know how cases involving children usually go for you Shouta. You don't tend to stick around long. And if you do it's not because of the children." 

Shouta hesitates. Of course he knows this as well, but is he really attached? 

Yes, yes he is. There's just something about this green haired, green eyed kid, the way he smiles brightly and his keen intelligence, that's just unique. 

"I think you're right Nao. I'm not sure I can let this kid go." Shouta admits out loud finally. 

Naomasa smiles at the confession, and Shouta can just sense the knowing look he would be getting had he been in the office with his husband, 

"I had a feeling you'd say that. Which is why I haven't put in a request for a social worker for Izuku just yet. But I can start on the paperwork for custody. I'm with you on this one Shou. This kid needs you. And any other help he can get for that matter."  

Shouta should have known, "Then you might as well get to work. Because I won't be around to help you with it for quite some time. I've been assigned as Izuku's chaperone and monitor given his current state of psychosis. A state that was confirmed by Inui, when he visited just a bit ago." 

"So Inui did stop by then. Does he intend to assign himself as Izuku's psychiatrist?" Naomasa asks. 

"He does, in fact he was arranging it with the nurses when I left Izuku's room earlier. It doesn't look like that's going to be a problem." Shouta answers, "The real problem is all the things that have come to light after his psychiatric evaluation." 

"What kind of things?" Naomasa asks, sounding concerned. 

"Aside from the expected mental side effects of his treatment up until now; quirk related things." Shouta tells him. "He hears a voice in his head. We initially thought it to be a protective personality of some sort. But he was also claiming that this voice was the one who conducted the incident at the school, not him. Apparently this side of him also did things Izuku doesn't think himself normally physically capable of doing. The extent of that claim will need to be evaluated when we get ahold of the camera footage. On top of it all, the use of my quirk has proven to make this 'voice' go away. Too many things are lining up Nao." 

There's a long pause while the detective processes that load of information. 

"So you are thinking this may be a forcibly manifested quirk incident." Naomasa asks slowly, connecting all of the dots. 

"There's a chance of it yes. But ultimately I'm not a professional in that regard, so my word can only be taken so far. Inui was going to review everything he knows after he left here. So you may be getting a call from him sometime soon." Shouta confirms. 

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll likely be in the office for a while yet." Naomasa replies. 

"There were somethings Izuku mentioned that I was wondering about." Shouta speaks up, "He mentioned a 'sludge incident' that he was involved with a few weeks ago. Any idea what that could be referring to?" 

Naomasa thinks a moment, "I have a theory, but I will need to look further into it to confirm. At this point I think anything relating to Izuku will need investigated. His school district first and foremost." 

"I agree. The other thing was he mentioned someone he calls 'Kacchan'. And from everything I've heard this kid is his main tormentor. Despite what Izuku might readily admit to." 

Naomasa does have an answer to this one, "His mother mentioned 'a friend Katsuki', the legitimacy of that friendship I doubted even then however," Shouta scoffs at the notion, "I decided to look into possible identities and one of the main surviving injuries was one 'Bakugo Katsuki'. He had two deep lacerations across his palms, effectively disabling his quirk until they heal." 

"What exactly is his quirk?" Shouta asks. 

"Explosions." Shouta hisses, "He sweats nitroglycerine which he ignites in his palms to create explosions. Why?"  

"Izuku has burn scars Nao. You should have seen how many scars this kid has. Hell, the word Deku is scared into his arm and leg." Shouta explains. 

"As much as I hate to say it, we will need pictures for evidence." Naomasa states, "but I will add what you've stated to his file for now." 

"Sounds like a plan. Speaking of evidence, did you get Izuku's backpack?" Shouta asks. 

"We did." 

"There should be a notebook in there titled 'Hero Analysis'. Do me a favor and give it to Nedzu to look over, so the rat doesn't just straight up steal it." Shouta requests. 

Naomasa huffs a laughs, "Sure, I can do that. We also need Izuku's uniform if you've managed to get him out of it and into something less..." 

"Red?" Shouta suggests. 

There's a choked sound on the other end of the line, "Not what I was going to say, but yes. Something clean." 

"I asked the nurses to bag it for evidence when I handed it over to them. And when evidence is done with it I'm burning it." Shouta insists. 

"I don't think this case is going to be over any time soon. But I will keep that in mind." Naomasa replies while sounding amused, "You should probably be getting back to Izuku now though. I don't know how long you've been out, but the kid is probably far from stable enough to have his main support gone for very long." 

He has a point there, "You're right. I do need to get going. Just be sure to touch base with Inui some time tonight. And keep me updated also." Shouta tasks him with. 

"Of course Shou. Now we both need to get back to our jobs. Have a good night." Naomasa replies. 

"Have a good night Nao. See you soon hopefully." Shouta answers, then hangs up at the same time as his husband. 

 

Now then, with that out of the way, time to get back to Izuku. 

---

---

After Aizawa left the room, it became clear to Nedzu that Izuku intended to watch the door until the hero came back. The teen just sits there in Hawk's lap, rocking ever so slightly while clutching the capture weapon around him and the feather still in his hand. 

And that just wouldn't do now would it? It's time for some distractions then! 

"So Izuku, I hear you like to analyze quirks?" Nedzu inquires. 

Izuku shifts his attention from the door to the creature in front of him, "I-I do!" he replies, shifting nervously. The motion causing more of the capture weapon to fall from his shoulders and pool around him. 

"That's wonderful!" Nedzu chirps, "I enjoy all kinds of analysis. However quirks are quite the fascinating topic." 

"I usually analyze heroes and their quirks in my notebooks. But I don't have them here." Izuku tells him. 

Analysis notebooks? Now those sound like something Nedzu would like to get his hands on. If only to get a better idea of how Izuku's mind works. And for his own personal enjoyment of course. 

"Which is fine. We can just have a conversation about it instead. A mutual exchange of ideas. How does that sound?" Nedzu offers. 

Izuku looks at him with stars in his eyes, "That sounds awesome." He says, nerves giving way to excitement. 

"Excellent." Nedzu replies, pressing his paws together, "Now then, who should we start with? Myself or Hawks?" he then asks. 

Izuku gives the question some thought. 

"You." He declares. 

Nedzu's grin widens. He really wishes he had some tea to go with this conversation. But alas, he does not.

"Is that so? Well then, what do you think about my quirk?" he inquires, genuinely curious as to what Izuku's clearly sharp mind has thought up. 

"Your quirk, High Specs said to increase intelligence. However I think it does more than that. It increases not only intelligence but cognitive and behavior functionality as well." Izuku begins, and he already has the rat's attention, "Because when you think about it, animals can be just as intelligent as humans at a base level. They can think and solve problems, they can learn and retain information. What separates us is the way we perceive things and react to them, what we do with said knowledge and why we wanted to acquire it in the first place. Humans have emotions while animals are instinct based. Animals prioritize survival, while humans also consider things.  We consider likes and dislikes, entertainment. We have curiosity, the search for knowledge for the sake of it acquiring it. We also worry about like socialization and interaction with other humans, and put a great deal of effort into it all. This also includes manipulation. People are manipulative, but in order to do that effectively one has to understand how humans tend to think and act. That's what I think High Specs does. It takes your intelligence, enhances it, then enhances your ability to use it effectively. It provides that slight edge that a normal animal brain would be lacking. It allows for better communication, you can talk after all. It allows room for more than just survival, you have your own interests, you have ethics. And I would dare say you have emotions on some level as well." Izuku pauses for a breath. 

"But some would argue animals have emotions too. Which I would agree with. So clearly High Specs doesn't give me emotions." Nedzu argues. 

"No. It doesn't. But it changes what you do with them. How you process them and how you choose to act on them. You take revenge, you hold grudges, you demand honesty, you expect morals and respect the dignity of another living thing." Izuku counters. "Now I'm not saying it makes you human. No, there's a line between you and them." Nedzu doesn't miss how Izuku refers to humans as 'them', "But you understand what makes them 'human' so to speak, and thus make use of said mental processes yourself. At a much higher performance level than the average human of course." 

Gone is the stuttering, trembling, nervous and fearful child from when they first arrived. Here is an intelligent thinker, who knows what they mean and means what they say. And Nedzu loves it. 

"That's quite the theory you have. I'm inclined to admit there is certainly plenty to support your theory. But forgive me if I choose not to break apart my own psyche for the sake of science." Nedzu replies. "I feel that would be counter productive." 

Izuku giggles, "It certainly wouldn't benefit anyone." He agrees. 

Nedzu knows there are plenty in this world who would rather not have to deal with him. But that's besides the point.

"Now you mention the understanding metal processes. There are many animals with empathy quirks and other mental based quirks. Thoughts?" Nedzu proposes. 

He simply wants to see where else Izuku's mind will go. With a bit of encouragement that is. 

"It's interesting how most animals that develop quirks seem to develop mental or neurological enhancement quirks. It makes you wonder about the whole 'quirks are a result of evolution' when the ones we see developing in our age often involve more mental processes than physical. With the exception of mutation quirks that is." Izuku starts, and as he continues he only talks faster, "But one could look at it as an evolution in thinking and thus as an improvement. After all there are many things that simply can't be solved by brute force alone." 

"Well, with the exception of mutation quirks as you said, all quirks require some sort of neurological execution to make use of." Nedzu points out. 

"Right! An emitter has to think about their output before it can happen, and make the cognitive decision to perform said feat. A transformation requires one to think about what they are transforming into and express the intent to do so within their own brain before it can happen. Other than quirks like say, High Spec, they simply don't activate on their own." Izuku jumps in with his own thoughts. 

"However the location within the brain that is used to execute this neurological function differs from quirk to quirk. That's what made the development of quirk suppressors so difficult. Scientists were unable to identify what they needed to influence to stop a quirk from being used." Nedzu adds. "At least until Quirk Factors were properly discovered and researched." 

"Which makes Eraserhead's quirk so unique." Izuku says, "I don't think his quirk effects a person's Quirk Factor directly. Instead I think it interrupts the communication between the part of the brain used in activating and controlling said Quirk Factor and the Quirk Factor itself." He explains, "Which does make it odd that it is limited to Eraser's line of sight in terms of who it effects. But I suppose in order for him to effect a Quirk Factor, he needs to see it and perceive it as such at least subconsciously." 

Nedzu hums, still enthralled by the young mind before him, "That is an interesting theory. Which would make sense as to why he doesn't have effect on mutation quirks as much. It's because that Quirk Factor is intertwined with their basic anatomical structure, there's no 'communication' as you call it, to interrupt." 

"Exactly!" Izuku exclaims, clearly enjoying himself.  

Perhaps almost as much as Nedzu himself. 

"I do wonder though, can Erasure deactivate High Specs?" Izuku then asks. 

Nedzu chuckles, "You know, I don't think Aizawa has ever dared to try." 

"This is all real fascinating, but also a bit over my head." Hawks interrupts, his sudden speech causing Izuku to startle from his place still in the hero's lap. 

Hawks really doesn't like where this train of thought is going. 

"Sorry Hawks. I guess we got a bit carried away." Izuku apologizes. 

"Nothing to apologize for buddy. I can tell you really love quirks. And that you're super smart." Hawks replies. 

"I-I'm not that smart." Izuku argues, shaking his head. 

"I would beg to differ Izuku-kun. There are very few people who would have been able to hold a conversation of that level with me. You even mentioned some things I hadn't quite thought of myself." Nedzu corrects. 

Or at least hadn't thought too deeply about. He makes it his business to think about all possibilities. Then again, he never would have thought someone like Izuku would come along. So perhaps there's more to be learned here than just what he discussed with the teen. 

"O-oh." Izuku stutters out. "If-if you think so." He doesn't appear to be very convinced. 

All in due time, Nedzu supposes. 

"I know! How about I tell you all about my quirk now?" Hawks offers, effectively moving the conversation along, "You can even ask me all the questions that big brain of yours thinks up. Sound good?" 

Izuku nods eagerly, shifting so he can look up at Hawks better. 

As for Nedzu, he is content to just listen to Hawks's explanation and observe the two. And there are a few things right away that he notices. 

While Hawks is speaking, he has Izuku's undivided attention. The boy sits perfectly still as he listens to the winged hero's exuberant explanation of his own quirk, yet keeps his hand motions and gestures to predictable, trackable actions. Hawks is more perceptive than he is given credit for. Also quite good with kids... and trauma victims. 

Izuku's right hand is also clenching and unclenching ever so slightly. It looks more like a twitching than anything. Perhaps this is Izuku's dominant hand? Izuku had mentioned that he does analysis in notebooks. Maybe he is subconsciously itching to write the information he is being given down. How amusing. 

But then there's the look in the teen's eyes. As Hawks continues, his eyes seem to almost become more green. The color of his irises becoming more vibrant, while Izuku's expression itself takes on a more zoned look. Not quite the glassy eyed look of disassociation, but something similar while still being more focused. 

This once again raises the point of a forced quirk manifestation. Something that Nedzu intends to investigate to the best of his ability. Which given his resources, is going to be thoroughly.

---

---

Once Aizawa has finished on the phone with Detective Tsukauchi, he allows himself the time to finish his now lukewarm coffee. 

While he stands near the door to Izuku's room, just in case, he is approached by Stephan. 

"Hello Eraserhead. Finally taking a breather I see." The blonde nurse greets. 

"Hello Stephan. You can just call me Aizawa. I'm not exactly in the field right now." Aizawa replies, "What can I do for you?" he then asks. 

And Aizawa can't for the life of him place where he recognizes this guy from. 

Stephan straightens. "I just wanted to let you know I've had myself moved to Izuku's case." The nurse informs. 

Aizawa raises and eyebrow, "Have you now?" 

Stephan nods, "For obvious reasons, given my own quirklessness." Stephan explains, "But also I want to make sure the kid is taken care of properly. While that staff here are mostly good people, everyone has their biases. And given it's a hero hospital, most don't really know how to interact with someone in Izuku's position. At least not very well. They're a bit too used to helping the 'powerful in there time of need' so to speak." 

"I get what you're saying. And who better to treat Izuku than someone who has no doubt been in the same position." Aizawa replies. 

"Exactly. The amount of times I wished I had someone else quirkless nearby once I moved to Japan were more than I could count." Stephan admits, "if only just to have someone who understood." 

"Which is only logical." Aizawa agrees, "I know Izuku will be thrilled to have you around. So I look forward to working with you then." 

"Right back at you 'Raser." Stephan replies, the nickname tickling at Aizawa's memory. "And I hate to admit it, but he's going to need all the help he can get. I'm not looking forward to the news broadcast about this whole mess, that's for sure." 

Aizawa sighs and takes a sip of his coffee, "I trust the detective who is working the case to keep things as under control as possible. But we only have so much time before we will need to make an official statement regarding Izuku." 

Stephan's expression turns serious, "You're not about to let him be charged with murder and assault are you." It's not a question. 

The hero shakes his head, "None of us are. We have a theory. But nothing that's been proven yet." Aizawa lets slip. 

"Care to enlighten the head nurse as to what that theory is?" Stephan tries. 

Aizawa gives him an unimpressed look, "Forced manifestation. That's all I'm saying." 

Stephan's eyes blow wide. "Damn. Not at all where I thought that was going." He finally says, "But with minds like Nedzu on the case I'm sure it's only a matter of time before it's figured out." 

"Speaking of, he's no doubt talking with Izuku right now." Aizawa grumbles. 

"That's who you left Greenie with? Nedzu?" Stephan demands. 

"And Hawks." 

Stephan scoffs, "That doesn't make me feel any better there 'Raser." 

"That makes two of us." The hero agrees. Then after a pause, "There is one more thing you should know, as 'head nurse'." 

"Yeah? What would that be?" Stephan asks, sounding intrigued. 

"His mother signed away custody this evening." Aizawa states, getting straight to the point. 

Stephan sighs, "Is that so? And how do you intend to tell Greenie?" 

Aizawa raises an eyebrow yet again at the nickname. Stephan just meets his eyes with a smirk. 

It is admittedly fitting, despite the fact that when Aizawa met Izuku he was covered in red, not green. Aizawa does his best to push that mental image as far from the front of his mind as he can. Now is not the time. 

"I'm not really sure. However I think most kids that would be in a situation like this would have asked for a parent by now, had it been a concern. Wouldn't they?" Aizawa questions slightly. 

Stephan hums in thought, "Probably? Izuku seemed stable enough when I was there to have thought of it. Most kids always seek out their parents when in the hospital. For a source stability and comfort if nothing else." 

Unless that parent isn't seen as a viable source for those things. Given the way Izuku seems almost touch starved, Aizawa is starting to think Izuku's mother isn't around very often. Naomasa didn't say anything about neglect, but it is too early to tell at this juncture. 

"Regardless, I'm going to have to tell him. It would be illogical not to." Aizawa then states. 

"That it would, that it would." Stephan agrees, seemingly lost in his own thoughts for the moment. "Which I guess I should let you get to doing. Don't want to leave him without you for too long. He might start thinking you're not coming back. And I can tell he's very attached to you." 

"He very much is." Aizawa agrees, leaving out the part where Izuku begged Aizawa not to leave him alone. 

"If you need me, I'll be at the nurses station. I need to arrange for the meds Hound Dog requested Izuku be given later. Good luck!" Stephan wishes. He gives Eraserhead a two fingered salute as he turns around to walk away. 

And suddenly Eraserhead is very aware of where he recognizes Stephan from. 

Images of a masked, bow wielding vigilante come to mind. Great. 

For now, it'd be best to worry about one Problem Child and not one from the past. 

---

---

Izuku sits silently as he listens to Hawks tell him all about his quirk. 

A lot of it is stuff Izuku already knew, but it's still awesome to hear it from the hero himself. 

Izuku really wishes he had his notebook with him. There's so much he needs to add to Eraserhead's entry, and Nedzu's, and now Hawks's entry too. But it's still in his backpack. Which is still at school. 

Izuku never wants to go back to school. 

Maybe he can ask Eraserhead if he can get it for him. That is, if Izuku gets to stay here and isn't going to be sent home. 

Izuku really doesn't want to go home. 

Home is quiet and lonely. His mother is never home when he is, she's always at work. So Izuku mostly exists at home by himself, alone just like he is everywhere else. 

But not now, now he's with Eraserhead and some other heroes. And Stephan of course. Izuku can't believe he's finally met another quirkless person. 

Speaking of which, when is Eraserhead coming back? He's been gone a long time now and Izuku would be lying if he said he wasn't concerned the hero has left for good. 

Then, as if on cue, there's a knock at the door. 

Izuku startles and grips the feather in his one hand tighter, while grabbing Hawk's sleeve with the other. 

Who is it? What do they want? Are they here to hurt him? 

Izuku doesn't notice his breathing picking up as he waits anxiously for the door to open and reveal whoever is on the other side. 

"Easy there Izuku. It's probably just Eraserhead coming back." Hawks voice assures, while sounding a bit far away, "Breath for me buddy.  That's it." 

Izuku does his best to keep breathing as the door opens. And when it does, he feels kind of dumb. 

It is Eraserhead! He came back! And he's safe!

Before Izuku has really processed what he's doing, he's stood up and is making to run over and meet the hero. But it seems said hero's capture weapon has other ideas, catching on his ankles and tripping him up. 

Izuku cries out as he fall forward, only to be caught before he hits the ground. 

"Careful Izuku. You don't need to hurt yourself." Eraserhead's low even tone chides. 

It's Eraserhead! He came back. He didn't leave Izuku. He's still here to keep Izuku safe. 

Izuku offers no response in favor of pressing himself against Eraserhead and gripping the man's jumpsuit. "Y-you c-came back." He stutters out, eyes tearing up. 

"Of course I did. I told you I would be back soon, and it's only logical that I would keep my word." Eraserhead replies. 

As he speaks he scoops Izuku up the rest of the way, along with his capture weapon. 

Eraserhead then makes his way over the where Nedzu and Hawks still sit, and proceeds to reclaim his seat on the cushion still on the floor from earlier. As he does so Eraserhead settles Izuku in his lap, and rearranges his capture weapon around his own shoulders, making sure to keep Izuku's piece around the teen's neck. Izuku is quick to burry his hands in the fabric, absently wondering what it's made of. 

"Welcome back Aizawa!" Nedzu chirps, "Izuku and I had a wonderful conversation about my quirks and others." He informs, sounding pleased. 

Does that mean he enjoyed talking with Izuku? Izuku certainly enjoyed talking with Nedzu. It was great how he listened to Izuku and even provided his own input. 

"I'd love to talk again some time Nedzu-san." Izuku says softly. 

Nedzu's grin widens, "I would like that very much!" the rat replies. 

"Don't worry Izuku, even after me and Nedzu leave today, you'll still see us again in the future. We're going to help keep you safe remember?"  Hawks reminds him. 

"R-right." Izuku replies, still having trouble believing this is happening. 

"So Izuku," Eraserhead begins, "there's something that we need to discuss." 

Izuku looks up at the hero, "And what's that?" Please don't be leaving, please don't be leaving. 

"The detective working your case was speaking with your mother earlier." The hero begins. "And she-" 

 

That's all Izuku really hears. 

This is it! Eraserhead is going to leave him. His mother is going to go back to taking care of him. If that's what you can even really call it. She can't keep him safe. She's never around, she never notices when he's hurt. Even if she does she never asks. She would never understand. Could she even help? Would she even help? 

 Izuku is going to be all alone again. No, no, no.

"Must stay with Eraserhead," the voice commands, "he keeps us safe. Must stay safe." 

Izuku knows that, but Eraser is going to have to leave when his mother arrives. He can't, he promised.

Izuku's breathing picks up and tears gather in his eyes. His chest is tight and his head is pounding. He can't breathe, he can't breathe. He's going to die. 

Suddenly Izuku is back in the classroom, surrounded by red. Red on the walls, on the desks, on the floor, on him. And he's in the corner all alone. He's not safe, he's not safe!

He needs to hide, needs to protect himself. He doesn't have the scalpel any more. They took it. He can't fight, so he'll have to defend. He must save himself. 

"Bring your arms up to protect your face, bring your knees up to protect your chest and stomach." The voice instructs. 

The voice is still here, Izuku still has the voice to help keep him safe. Izuku doesn't know what he's protecting himself from, but he knows. He always knows what to do. 

"Say small and quiet, don't make any sounds, you don't want to make them angry." The voice reminds. 

Izuku does as the voice says, follows the instructions of the voice in his head. The one that made the hurting stop. Izuku can feel the hits and kicks. He can feel the rocks being thrown at him, his skin being cut, his flesh being burned. 

And it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. It hurts so much.

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Make it stop, no more, make it stop." Izuku whines, helpless and stuck inside his head. 

---

Aizawa recognizes the moment he loses Izuku completely. 

One mention of his mother had the kid starting to panic, breathing starting to speed up and eyes filling with tears. 

Aizawa immediately works to start calming him down. 

"Izuku, kid, it's okay. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere. You're safe." He tries assuring. 

Izuku shows no sign of having heard him, no sign of even seeing him. The teen is hyperventilating, entire body shaking with the short panting breaths. He's rocking slightly, staring with unseeing eyes. 

Eyes that looks far too similar to when they first met. 

"N-not safe." Izuku mumbles quietly, brokenly. "M-must stay s-safe." 

Izuku's next actions happen fast. He moves with speed that seems impossible for someone of his size and stature. Izuku get up and flees.

In the throws of his panicked mind, Izuku forces himself to stand. He then makes a beeline for the corner of the room. Once there he drops to the floor. He sits there, staring straight ahead. His green eyes impossibly vibrant, glowing almost, as he rocks back and forth, mumbling to himself. 

 He then curls in on himself, arms raised in a protective wrap around his head and neck, knees practically touching his chin in an effort to protect his abdomen. These actions are performed with practiced ease, and not a single sound. 

No one should be that silent. 

Still shaking Izuku stays curled up on the floor. Nedzu remains where he was seated while Hawks left swiftly and quietly to get a nurse. 

Aizawa approaches Izuku as carefully as he can. 

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Make it stop, no more, make it stop." Izuku mumbles out, his voice broken and desperate. 

It breaks Aizawa's heart. 

"Eraserhead." Nedzu says softly, "Try using your quirk on him. It's worked before hasn't it? And if this in indeed a manifested quirk..." 

Aizawa doesn't need to hear any more. He activates his quirk, using it on Izuku. His hair floats up and his eyes glow red. 

Izuku stills. 

---

As quickly as Izuku was trapped, he is suddenly free. 

There's no more voice, no more red, no more phantom hurting. 

But there is Eraserhead.

Izuku can see him with his quirk activated and staring at Izuku. But that can't be right. Izuku doesn't have a quirk. Not that Izuku cares right now. 

Eraserhead is here, he didn't leave him alone. 

Izuku barrels over to the hero, throwing himself into him and clutching his jumpsuit like a lifeline. He buries his face in the black fabric and lets himself cry. They're tears of relief this time. 

Eraserhead is still here to keep him safe. 

"Y-you didn't l-leave m-me." Izuku stutters out amidst his sobs. 

Izuku feels himself being picked up and held. It's been so long since someone comforted him like this. 

"I didn't leave you Izuku. I'm not leaving you. I promised I'd keep you safe and I meant it. I'll say it as many times as it takes." Eraserhead consoles, adjusting his hold so Izuku is pressed against his chest. 

Izuku sniffs and presses his face into the hero's collar. "Don't l-let her t-take m-me Eraser. Sh-she can't ke-keep me s-safe." 

"You're not going anywhere Izuku. You're staying here with me. I promise." Eraserhead assures, rocking back and forth on his feet. 

Izuku just presses impossibly closer. He's safe. 

---

Aizawa just holds Izuku silently, rubbing soothing circles on his back. The kid was terrified of losing him, so Aizawa will do whatever is necessary to assure Izuku he's not leaving. If that means just holding the kid, then so be it. 

Meanwhile Nedzu seems to be pondering something, no doubt the fact the Erasure was the reason Izuku's episode was brought to an end. The quirk manifestation theory is looking more and more likely. 

Hawks appears in the doorway with Stephan, both looking extremely worried. Stephan looks to be holding a syringe, no doubt for if they needed to sedate Izuku to calm him down. 

Luckily, it didn't come to that this time. Here's hoping they can keep it that way. 

Hawks uses two of his feathers to retrieve Izuku's capture scarf from where it was abandoned on the ground and instead have it drape back around Izuku's shoulders. He then has one feather press itself into Izuku's hand, the same one Izuku has had ahold of until now. 

As a result Izuku grips the feather tightly and buries his face in the capture weapon, letting out a soft sigh. 

If Aizawa couldn't see Izuku's eyes, he'd think the kid was falling asleep. 

But no, Izuku is staring at Aizawa as if the hero would disappear when he looked away. It's a glassy, dazed stare, but very much awake. 

Aizawa continues to pace around the room while Stephan sets to work making Izuku's bed ready for sleeping on. Nedzu is cleaning up the coloring, deep in thought, while Hawks simply watches Izuku as Aizawa carries him around the room. 

There's still much to be addressed and solved, but for now Aizawa is content with Izuku pressed against him, listening to his heart beat and matching his breathing.

Notes:

Greetings my dudes!
Did you miss me? Probably not, though I know you have all been waiting for the next chapter. And it's here!

I have started my next college semester, I am taking 4 classes this semester and work 4-5 nights a week, so my schedule is a mess. Your continued patience and reading is appreciated!

So what did we think?

I must confess the last scene with Izuku panicking was not planned to end with another episode. It kinda just happened. But I think it turned out great in the end. I love me some Dadzawa.

I also had a blast writing Izuku's analysis! It's just my opinion on Nedzu really. To say that he doesn't understand emotion because he is still an animal seems short sighted. He has to understand if he uses his past experiences as an experiment to justify his current actions. And if he didn't understand the human psyche, he wouldn't be the effective manipulator that he is.
Just my opinion, let me know in the comments if you guys agree. I'm honestly curious.

Speaking of comments, I feel the need to inform you guys that I do speak some Spanish. English is my first language however, and I am quite out of practice when it comes to my Spanish skills. That said, I do understand your comments. And I think it's awesome I have people who speak other languages reading my fic! So thanks!

That's enough for this author's note I think.
Thank you all so much for reading! And get excited for next chapter! I have SO MUCH planned for the future now!

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 5: I May Have Changed, Mind Rearranged

Summary:

You may not like what you see
Sadly this chaos is me
I may have changed
mind rearranged,
into what I am meant to be
~~
Hawks and Nedzu take their leave. Stephan nearly stabs someone. Izuku has an interesting conversation. Tsukauchi is still trying to mentally prepare himself for the insanity that will nod doubt come from this case.

Notes:

Greetings all!
Look at me, posting another chapter so soon. I'm awesome I know.

Well, what can I say? You guys and all your amazing comments have me extra motivated!
I do read every single one of them. Even the ones in other languages. (Thank Truth for translators.) So know that even if I don't reply, I definitely saw your comment if you post one.
I love seeing what you guys think! (You guys can read my replies if you want extra insight on my writing, both past and future. You don't have to though!)

Okay, pre-chapter ramblings complete.
ENJOY!! :D

The rest of the evening passes relatively quietly.

After his panic attack, Izuku seemed completely drained and perfectly content to just remain where he was in Aizawa's arms. He stares out at the others in the room, gaze occasionally looking up to Aizawa instead. Apart from this however, the teen is near catatonic in Aizawa's arms. 

Seeing this, Nedzu and Hawks decided it would be best if they left and gave the teen some space. Both said their goodbyes while assuring Izuku that they would be back again. Izuku listened silently, nodding then offering his own little wave of farewell in return. 

Stephan came by with food for Aizawa and Izuku along with medication that Inui had prescribed Izuku to take. They tried to get Izuku to eat first, but to no avail, the teen wasn't having it. He simply shook his head and proceeded to hide his face in Aizawa's capture scarf. 

Taking that for the dismissal it probably was, Stephan sets the pills in their little cup down on the table alongside the cup of water and cup of juice. Aizawa asked what their purpose was, and Stephan told him that one was for Izuku's anxiety and the other was something to hopefully help him sleep. Inui needed a bit more time to decide on what else we wanted prescribe Izuku. For now they needed to keep Izuku calm and make sure he was at least getting some sleep. 

With explanations out of the way, Stephan informed Aizawa of the call button near the bed and bid them goodnight. 

It took some effort on Aizawa's part, some coaxing and persuading, to finally get Izuku to take the medication. Eventually Izuku complies, swallowing the two pills and, much to Aizawa's relief, finishing the rest of the glass of orange juice.

Now all that was left to do was wait for the medication to take effect, and hopefully let Izuku get some much needed sleep. 

Aizawa situated them on Izuku's bed, the hero leaning back against the pillows and headboard with arm around Izuku who was half laid out beside him, curled into his side. 

Not at all caring for the eery silence, Aizawa decides to fill it with his own voice. So he talks to Izuku, speaking of his cats and his husband a home, telling stories about their antics. Tells Izuku he would love for him to meet them someday, but only when he's ready. Aizawa talks about how he works at UA teaching the hero coarse, and that he expelled his entire class this year. He mentions how Izuku would likely attend UA when he's ready to return to school. 

All the while Izuku stares up at him, blinking on occasion, listening intently. The tension built up in Izuku's frame slowly drains, the teen relaxing in the hero's hold as the medication slowly takes effect. 

And eventually Aizawa can see that Izuku is clearly fighting sleep. 

"You look tired Izuku, why not get some sleep?" Aizawa suggests in a soft, quiet voice. 

Izuku sluggishly shakes his head, blinking a few times to keep himself awake. 

"No? You don't what to sleep?" 

Another sleepy nod. 

"Why not?" Aizawa asks, though he's pretty sure he knows the answer. 

"Don't wan this to be a dream." Izuku slurs out, "Don't wanna wake up alone." 

Aizawa smiles sadly, "I told you before I'm not going anywhere. And that this isn't a dream." Aizawa assures, "You need your sleep Izuku. You'll feel better after getting some rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

"P-promise?" comes the shake reply.

"I promise." Aizawa swears. 

And with that Izuku finally lets his eyes close, shifting slightly to lean into Aizawa further. Aizawa watches silently as Izuku's breathing deepens and evens out, and he relaxes fully. 

Finally, Izuku gets a much needed break from all this. Barring any nightmares of course. Oh how Aizawa hopes those will leave Izuku alone, at least for tonight. 

The exhaustion caused by today is finally catching up with Aizawa. So he shifts into a further laid down position and closes his eyes. He can get some of his own rest right here. After all, he doesn't dare leave Izuku's side.

---

---

     After giving Izuku his nightly medication, Stephan was sent home. Their reasoning was that it would be best Stephan go home and get some much needed rest while Izuku was asleep and thus the chances of the nurse's presence being required would be slim. 

 

So, that's what he did. Stephan goes back home to his apartment. 

The first thing he did upon arriving home was turn on the news. With any luck, he would be able to catch the evening news coverage of the incident at Aldera earlier that day. 

With the weather forecasting playing in the background, Stephan set to work making some dinner. It was late so he had no intention of making anything overly complicated. 

 

As he chops vegetables Stephan's mind begins to wander. Today had been something else. Not only were the events themselves exhausting, but the memories dug back up by meeting someone else quirkless, someone else suffering as he did, were even worse. 

Stephan will say that Izuku is far worse off than he ever was. Stephan grew up in the United States, where the quirkless were a lot more common place. Then his mother died and his father was sent over seas to Japan to work an international drug case and he took Stephan with him. 

Thing's were a hell of a lot different here. But even with all the bullying and harassment, Stephan managed to make friends with two other students from over seas. And they had his back from the time they met in middle school, through their years attending and then graduating from UA and well after that. 

When Stephan ended up engaging in some questionably legal activities after his father went missing because of his case. 

"What's got you so lost in thought?" a voice interrupts his internal musings from behind him. 

Reacting on instinct, Stephan spins around to face them, his hold on the knife flipping to a reverse grip as he does so. He swipes at his would be assailant, using the momentum from spinning around to put more force and speed behind the attack. 

Only for the figure to catch his arm mid stroke and their long fingernails jabbing into his pressure point with practiced ease, forcing Stephan's hand to drop the knife. 

 

As the knife clatters to the floor, Stephan realizes that he just tried to knife his girlfriend. His girlfriend who just meets his eyes as she releases her hold on him. 

"Careful there Steve, anyone else and they'd be bleeding out on the floor by now." She chides, "What's got you so jumpy?" she then asks. 

Stephan sighs and relaxes from his combat stance, "Apologies, Erin. It was a long day at work." 

Erin offers him an understanding smile, "No harm done, you'd think after how many times we've done this I'd learn to stop appearing behind you." 

"You are the only person who manages to constantly do that to me." Stephan comments. 

"Yeah well, it's my job to be stealthy and get the drop on people. I'd hope I'm good at it." She teases. "So what was so rough about work today?" she inquires. 

"An incident I ended up responding to, it brought back some not so pleasant memories." He explains. 

Erin analyzes him for a moment,"Is that so? Care to elaborate?" 

Stephan goes to answer her when he hears the news anchor announce the next headline.

"Tonight's breaking news headline, an attack on a Musutafu school, Aldera Junior High." 

Stephan bolts into the living room, then he uses his arms to flip himself over the back of the couch and into a seat. He hears Erin follow behind him, walking over like a normal human being and sitting down beside him. Stephan turns the volume up on the tv as the news coverage plays. 

 

"At roughly 1pm today, there was an attack staged on Alder Junior High. The police along with pro heroes responded to the incident. The casualties were as follows: eleven dead; ten students one teacher, and around two dozen injured with 5 critically wounded. The police confirm the attacker was, in fact, a student who is alive and in custody. The authorities have declined to release any further details on account of the attacker being a minor. We the media have been instructed to wait on conducting any related interviews due to the sensitive nature of this case. We hope to have more details to report to you viewers in the near future." 

 

Stephan listens intently to the brief news coverage of the incident. He has to hand it to Detective Tsukauchi, the guy knows how to handle the media. 

"The way Tsukauchi manages to contain the media will never cease to amaze me." Stephan comments. 

Erin laughs, "Yeah, well, that man has had more than a few media outbreaks to learn from." She points out, "I take it this is the incident you mentioned and Tsukauchi is on the case then?" 

Stephan nods, turning the TV volume back down so that it's only background noise, "That's correct. I was there Erin, and the kid who was responsible, you can't even say it's his fault." 

"Really now? He had his reasons for his actions then." She infers.

"He did. He's been bullied and abused at school for years. He was finally pushed to his limit and suffered a violent psychotic break. Thus, the attack on his school." Stephan explains, "And the kid's quirkless." 

Erin cringes, "That explains a few things. I'm sure that wasn't easy for you to see." 

Stephan shakes his head, "Far from it." He admits, "He ended up latching onto one of the pro heroes who responded to the incident. You're never going to believe who it was though Erin." He says with an amused smile. 

Erin eyes him suspiciously, "Go on then, try me." 

"Eraserhead." Stephan declares. 

Erin's eyes widen, "You're kidding! Though I suppose he is a lot softer that people give him credit for." 

"Izuku won't leave his side. He's completely attached. And you can tell Eraser is too." Stephan continues, "And he's not the only one. Nedzu and Hawks are involved too. Hound Dog has also assigned himself as Izuku's official psychiatrist." 

"Keigo is involved. Why was he even in the area?" Erin demands in disbelief. 

Stephan shrugs, "I don't really know, but he and Eraserhead were the two that handled approaching Izuku and getting him out of the building. Hawks has gotten attached as well. And Nedzu is now personally invested in this case also." 

"If Nedzu is on the case, then this is about to get very interesting." Erin comments. She knows the rat principle of UA better than most. After all, she was his personal student while attending UA. "Makes me want to get involved, and you know if we both are pulled in, it's only a matter of time before Cameron joins us." 

"Poor Eraserhead, he suffered enough when you two where his students." Stephan teases. 

"Ha! Speak for yourself! You caused just as much trouble as we did you know." Erin counters, "Speaking of which, has he figured out who you are yet? Either as a former student or as Bow?" she asks, bringing up his vigilante name. 

 

Although technically Stephan isn't a vigilante, given he doesn't have a quirk to use illegally. 

Stephan smiles, "He's slowly catching on. I kept calling him Eraser when we were out in the halls out of habit, and to see how he would react. I could tell it was starting to make him suspect something." 

"Wait, I thought you said you were a first responder?" Erin asks, confused. 

Stephan looks away, hiding a guilty smile.

"Steve...? What did you do?" Erin demands, knowing that look. 

"Nothing bad! I swear!" Stephan insists, "I just may have, demanded I be assigned to Izuku as his nurse. I am licensed as an RN as well after all." He points out. 

Erin sighs fondly, "How did I know that was coming? You really are invested in this case aren't you? That's good though, sounds like Izuku will need all the help he can get." 

"He doesn't have the support system I had. His mother even signed away custody when she heard he was the cause of the incident. She just couldn't handle it." Stephan explains. "I just really want to help this kid in any way I can." 

"And you will." Erin assures, "Just don't push yourself too hard okay?" 

Stephan smiles, "I know, I know. I'm not you remember? I know my limits." He teases. 

"Hey!" Erin exclaims. 

Stephan just laughs. 

---

---

After the two left Hero's Retreat, Hawks elected to just fly himself to where ever he was headed next. Nedzu saw no problem with this, and bid the winged hero farewell, after the two agreed to keep in touch. 

After all they both were now personally invested in this case. 

 

Upon returning to UA, Nedzu took notice of the fact the Hound Dog was still in his office, despite the late hour. Naturally, Nedzu decides to go pay the man a visit and also catch him up on what he missed after Inui left the hospital.

Inui looks up at the knock on his door. "Come in." He calls out, knowing full well who it is already. 

Sure enough the door opens and in walks Nedzu. "Good evening Inui." He greets. 

"Good evening principal. How was the rest of your night?" Inui asks, genuinely curious. 

Nedzu makes his way to one of the chairs that sit opposite to Inui's desk and climbs into it. 

"It went as well as could be expected." Nedzu replies, now seated, "I must say, Izuku's analysis skills, and intelligence in general, are really quite something. You'll have to witness them for yourself some time." 

"Is that so? Then I take it you were able to distract the child while Eraserhead was gone?" he infers. 

"We succeeded in that regard yes. It was after Aizawa returned with some news that things went haywire." Nedzu tells him.

"Haywire how? It Izuku alright?" Inui questions, growing concerned. 

"According to Aizawa, Izuku's mother signed away custody this evening. She felt she was ill equipped to handle the situation. Or something to that nature." Nedzu explains, "However at the mere mention of his mother, Izuku began to panic, thinking her involvement meant that Aizawa would no longer be staying with him." 

"I see, I fear Izuku has trauma bonded to Aizawa. Separating them in the future is not going to be an easy task. But for now, I'm just glad Izuku has someone he at least slightly trusts to keep him safe." Inui replies, "And how exactly did you manage to calm Izuku down?" he then asks. 

"It is my belief that in his panic, Izuku started to hallucinate thst he was being hurt again. He leapt from Aizawa's lap and hid himself in the corner of the room, curling into a defensive ball as if to protect himself from blows he would receive. He was in a trance like state, and remained that way." Nedzu continues. 

So Inui can add hallucinations to his file then. Just another reason Izuku will need to be monitored, and potentially started on some stronger medication. 

"I noticed something else, however." Nedzu adds, "His eyes, they seemed to almost glow with how green they were. So I suggested Aizawa use his quirk on Izuku. And just like that, the boy calmed down considerably." 

This comes as only a slight surprise to Inui, "So you are also thinking this voice is part of a forcibly manifested quirk then?"

Nedzu nods, tail flicking behind him, "I am. But there is still more I need to know before I can make a definitive conclusion." He tells Inui, "I would like to look over the footage from the incident and see for myself how Izuku carried himself and acted in general." 

The hound hero nods, "I agree. I have a meeting scheduled with Tsukauchi tomorrow morning to discuss this case. You are welcome to join me then if you would like. With any luck, we can all review the footage together and start making some real progress with this case." Hound Dog offers. 

Nedzu's ever present smile widens, "That sounds like a wonderful idea! I shall gladly take you up on your offer." 

Tomorrow then. Tomorrow they would finally get to see for themselves what happened. 

---

---

The first thing Izuku does when he wakes up is try to figure out where he is. 

Yesterday's events come rushing back and he instead prioritized figuring out where Eraserhead is. It only takes looking up to find that the hero is still beside him, one arm still draped around Izuku, keeping him safe, while still being asleep. 

Izuku relaxes, if Eraserhead (or Aizawa he supposed he should be calling him, after all that is what he said) is still here then he's safe. Izuku is fine. 

~You put too much trust in him~ 

It takes everything Izuku has in him not to jump. He recognizes the voice as, well, the voice. But this time he is so much louder, almost as if he's speaking into Izuku's ear. No, it's definitely more like he's inside Izuku's head. 

Which he supposes makes sense. 

~I am inside your head. After all no one else can hear me can they?~ 

"No, they can't. But you don't really talk much. At least you didn't." Izuku replies, speaking softly yet still out loud. Holding the conversation in his head seems like it would get confusing. 

~However you want to do it. I can always hear you.~ The voice replies, and isn't that slightly ominous, ~And I'm talking more now because you need me now more than ever.~

"I've always needed you. You keep me safe." Izuku tells him. 

~That is my role after all. And I take it very seriously.~ the voice tells him. 

"You say it's your role. But I don't even know who you are. Who are you? Why are you inside my head?" Izuku asks. And really, he does want to know. He's been wondering for a while and thinks he deserves and answer. 

~You do deserve an answer.~ the voice declares, clearly listening to his thoughts and not just his words, ~I am simply another version of you. One tasked with keeping you safe and ensuring your survival at all costs.~ 

"Another version of me? I guess you do kinda sound like me." Izuku muses, "But why now? You only started helping recently. And I haven't been safe in years." Izuku questions. 

~Because things were getting out of hand. You were starting to not even try keeping yourself safe, let alone the extremes others were going to in order to cause you harm. So I manifested, to help you keep yourself safe.~ the voice explains. 

"I'm sorry. I was just so tired of it all. And then Kacchan-" ~Bakugo, he's not your friend remember~, "Right, then Bakugo gave me that suggestion, then All Might said what he said and left me on the rooftop. And I was just so tired of fighting." Izuku hurriedly explains, despite the interruption.

~I understand. Which is why I am here. To help you stay safe when you can't do it yourself.~ the voice responds, ~But I'll be here more often now. Maybe its because of what I did to help you, to stop the hurting, but I seem to be more...present now. I have more energy and more power to act.~ 

"I don't mind you being here. You've been very helpful." Izuku declares, "And it's nice to not be alone." 

~You're not...upset with what I did yesterday?~ The voice asks, almost hesitantly. 

"Nope. You made the hurting stop, even if what you did was a bit...um...extreme." Izuku assures. 

~I only wanted to help. And it didn't seem like anything sort of using force would be at all effective.~ The voice explains, ~And thanks to what I did the heroes are finally helping you.~ the voice then points out. 

"That's true. If you hadn't done that the heroes wouldn't have come. And I'm really glad to have met Eraserhead. Even if you don't think I should trust him a lot, I still trust him a little. After all he didn't leave." Izuku states. 

~Perhaps I will come to trust him in time. But right now I don't trust anyone. We've been through too much to trust so easily Izuku.~ the voice tells him. 

"I know, I know." Izuku pauses, "Wait, did you just call me Izuku?" he asks, confused. 

~I did. Because that is your name.~ the voice says simply. 

"But you're also me, so aren't you Izuku too?" Izuku asks, confused. 

~I am a version of you, a variation of the original. I am not you. You are you.~ the voice clarifies, sorta. Izuku's still a bit confused for now. 

"Then what's your name? Do you have a name?" Izuku asks, "I'd rather not keep thinking of you as 'the voice' all the time." 

~I do not have a name. Perhaps you should give me one then.~ the voice suggests. 

"That's a great idea! I'll give you a name!" Izuku exclaims, before quickly checking if his enthusiastic volume woke Aizawa, "Let me think...you're a version or variation of me... I know! How about Variant?" Izuku offers. 

 

Izuku then feels something akin to happiness, it's not quite his own though. No, it's more distant and muted, like feeling happy for someone. 

Is the voice happy.

~I think it's a great name.~ the newly dubbed Variant decides, ~I shall be called Variant.~ 

"Awesome! I'm glad you like it." Izuku cheers. 

 

"Izuku? Who are you talking to?" 

Izuku does jump this time. He also makes a startled squeak as he quickly turns to face the newly awoken Aizawa. 

"Uh...um" 

Can he tell him? 

~Might as well get it over with. They do know about me after all.~ the voice replies. 

"The voice...I'm talking to the voice." Izuku tells him hesitantly. 

"The one you've been hearing in your head?" Aizawa asks. 

"Yep! We decided his name was Variant, since he didn't have a name before." Izuku explains. 

Aizawa lets this process, "I see, so you can talk to him then. Can Variant hear me?" he then asks. 

Izuku feels something akin to displeasure or annoyance. 

~I can hear him just fine.~ comes the answer. 

"He says he can hear you." Izuku echoes. 

Aizawa nods, "Can I ask him something?" he tries. 

~No. I don't trust him, or particularly care for him.~  Variant replies.

Izuku gets not trusting him, but not liking him at all? 

~He can silence me, prevent me from completing my role. I don't like him.~ Variant elaborates. 

Izuku supposes that makes sense. 

He shakes his head, "He says no. He doesn't trust you...or really like you because you can silence him." He says simply.

Aizawa blinks, caught off guard by the declaration. 

---

When Aizawa woke up, it was to Izuku's voice. 

At first he thought it someone else was in the room. Then he realized that he can't hear anyone else's voice. So, he decided to wait a bit longer and try to figure out just who Izuku was talking to. 

"I know, I know." Pause, "Wait, did you just call me Izuku? But you're also me, so aren't you Izuku too?"

Also him? So is this another personality then, like their original theory? 

"Then what's your name? Do you have a name? I'd rather not keep thinking of you as 'the voice' all the time."

So he's talking to the voice in his head then? Is this new? Izuku didn't mention this before at all. 

"That's a great idea! I'll give you a name!" Izuku exclaims, and Aizawa can feel the teen looking at him, probably to see if he was woken up by the sudden increase in volume. For now he fakes being asleep still. 

"Let me think...you're a version or variation of me... I know! How about Variant?" 

Now we've named the voice. Said voice probably isn't going anywhere any time soon, quirk or not. 

 "Awesome! I'm glad you like it."

Perhaps it's time to wake up. 

 

After being told that Variant doesn't trust him, Aizawa isn't at all surprised. If this voice is meant to play the role of protector, then it's only logical he wouldn't be quick to trust. 

But being told that Variant doesn't like him, makes Aizawa stop and think. It's not like he's ever really spoken to a quirk before. Or in this case what they are pretty sure is a quirk. He knows people don't tend to like having their quirks cancelled out. So logically it would make sense that the quirks themselves, if they were sentient (which thankfully most are not) they probably wouldn't be too fond of Aizawa either. 

It's something new to think about that Aizawa can't say ever really crossed his mind.  

"That's fine." Aizawa assures, "If he doesn't want to talk to me then I won't make him." 

Izuku seems to relax at this information. He probably thought Aizawa would force him to talk, knowing how Izuku tends to think these types of interactions will play out. 

"Do you usually talk with the voice, with Variant, Izuku?" he asks instead. 

Izuku shakes his head, "No, this is the first time we've really talked to each other. Usually he's just giving me advice on how to stay safe." He explains, "When I asked him, he said he thinks it might be because he took control yesterday that he now has more power." 

So said quirk is potentially getting stronger then, great. 

"I see." Aizawa says, not sure how to respond to that. "And how are you feeling today Izuku?" 

Izuku eyes him for a moment, "I'm okay. A little tired and my head's kinda fuzzy, but I'm okay." The greenette tells him.

A knock at the door interrupts them. 

Izuku startles, quickly hiding himself in Aizawa's side and shaking slightly. Well, there goes any semblance of calm Izuku had. 

"Aizawa? Izuku? It's Stephan. Can I come in? I brought breakfast with me!" a voice sounds from the other side of the door. 

Izuku looks up from his hiding place. Aizawa meets his watery eyes. He doesn't miss the way they seem to glow green slightly.  

"Is it okay for Stephan to come in?" he asks Izuku, "You can say no and he will leave us alone until you are ready. No one will be upset with you." He clarifies. 

Izuku ponders this for a moment. "He can come in." Izuku permits. 

"You can come in Stephan." Aizawa calls out. 

The door then slowly opens and Stephan walks in, balancing a tray of foot in one hand. 

"Good morning!" Stephan greets with far too much energy for this early in the day, "I hope I didn't wake either of you up." 

Aizawa shakes his head, "We were both already awake." 

Izuku timidly looks up from where he hides on the other side of Aizawa. He analyzes Stephan for a long moment, irises still a vibrant, piercing shade of green. 

Stephan takes notice of this and stops walking towards them, content to let Izuku determine if he is any sort of a threat. That does seem to be what the teen is doing after all. 

Whatever Izuku finds seems to satisfy him, and he sits up fully, finally allowing Aizawa to do the same. They both remain on the bed still, Aizawa instead allowing his feet to hang off the edge of the bed, while Izuku presses close into his side. 

"What did you bring for breakfast?" Izuku asks softly. 

Stephan smiles, resuming his approach, "I brought pancakes! After all sweets always help me feel better." He tells the greenette, snagging a rolling cart from the edge of the room to be used as a table. 

Izuku seems pleased at the information, sitting up a little straighter and then taking a second to resettle the capture scarf around his neck and shoulders. Aizawa gets the feeling that scarf won't leave Izuku's neck for a long long time. 

Stephan sets down the tray of pancakes with a small bowl of syrup and some bacon on the table that he pushed to stand in front of them. Izuku sits up fully and looks the food over. Then he looks to Aizawa and Stephan. 

"Can I...can I eat it now?" he asks. 

This kid. 

"Of course! I hope you like it." Stephan replies. 

While Izuku starts eating, Stephan turns to Aizawa, "I wasn't sure what you would want to eat. I can definitely bring you some coffee. I've hear ours is pretty decent all things considered. Although I'm not partial to it myself." 

"That would be appreciated. I'll stick with just coffee for now." Aizawa replies. 

What he doesn't mention is the fact that he has nutrient pouches in his utility belt that is sitting on the side table next to the bed. He gets the feeling the blonde medical professional would not approve of his definition of breakfast.

"Sure thing. I'll be right back then." Stephan replies. 

And with that he once again heads out the door. Leaving Izuku and Aizawa in each other's company once again. 

---

---

Tsukauchi Naomasa heaves a heavy sigh as he stands next to the coffeemaker in the break room of the precinct. It was a long night last night, and today isn't showing signs of being any better. He got home late last night, to an empty apartment save for the cats, and got little to no sleep. 

Naomasa supposes having Shouta somewhere safe while away from home is better than off on a mission somewhere. If rooming with a psychotic teen can be considered safe. That said, Shouta seemed quite fond of Izuku already, so there's clearly something special about the boy. 

First thing this morning Naomasa has a meeting with Hound Dog to review his official psychiatric evaluation of Izuku. And it looks like Nedzu will be joining them, at least according to the email he received from Hound Dog late last night. Naomasa will take a joint meeting over having to deal with the rat on his own. He does have to admit that Nedzu will be instrumental in the progress of this case however. 

Naomasa spent all day yesterday making phone calls and reviewing evidence. They secured the scalpel and fire arm that Izuku used yesterday after Eraserhead left it behind in the room he found the teen in. It was discovered that the gun was registered under one Bakugo Mitsuki, the mother of one of Izuku's main victims. When asked about the gun she informed them that she found a note in the gun safe that was left by Izuku. In said note he explained that he stole the gun without their knowledge. Mitsuki agreed to hand said note over to the police. 

Naomasa has an interview with all three Bakugos scheduled for later this afternoon. Which is going to be very...character building, to say the least. The already outspoken, if not slightly aggressive, parent was less than enthused to receive the request from Naomasa yesterday. According to her the interview will need to be conducted in the hospital, as Katsuki has yet to be discharged. After all the boy's injuries were more serious than just superficial slashes and he was shot as well. 

The way Naomasa sees it, Katsuki had to have been a specific target, or at least in a position to make himself one, to sustain said wounds. Shouta had mentioned that Izuku had identified someone called 'Kacchan' as his main tormentor. Izuku made a point to target Katsuki's hands and disable his quirk after all, as with two other boys, one of which is now dead. 

That's nothing compared to the state their teacher was, in, however. Seeing the body had been a trying experience, even for a seasoned member of the police force such as himself. It makes him wonder how Shouta handled the sight of that torn apart and bloodied classroom with so much composure. 

Then again, Naomasa knows first hand what haunts his husband in his dreams. 

The coffeemaker sounds off a short tune to denote the drink has finished brewing. Which has Naomasa grabbing the cup and taking long sip, ignoring the way the liquid all but scalds his throat. 

Today is going to be a long day. 

---

Tsukauchi is sitting at his desk where a knock rattles on his door. 

It would seem they have arrived. 

"You may enter." He calls out. 

The door then opens to reveal Hound Dog on the other side of it, Nedzu sitting atop his shoulder with several manila folders clutched in his paws. 

The rat hops down from his perch and makes his way into the decently sized office. 

"Hello Detective! And good morning!" Nedzu chirps, taking a seat across from Tsukauchi's desk. 

Hound Dog utters his own greeting as he follows Nedzu, the man clearly no more of a morning person than Tsukauchi himself. 

"Good morning gentleman. I see you've come prepared." Tsukauchi replies, referring to the files Nedzu is still holding. 

Hound Dog settles into the seat next to the principal, "Of course, it wouldn't do to arrive ill prepared." 

Nedzu's grin widens, "I agree, we have brought the psychiatric evaluation along with typed up statements regarding each of our observations, along with one from Hawks." He explains, "Eraserhead and Stephan, Izuku's newly assigned nurse, have offered to write up their own statements upon request. Should you have need of them." 

This is one of the reasons Tsukauchi does like working with Nedzu. The rat always comes more than prepared. It certainly makes the detective's job much easier. And more complicated on certain occasions. 

"Excellent. I would like to start with going over your general impressions as Izuku's psychiatrist, Inui-san." Tsukauchi informs. 

"That's fine. I preformed the eval yesterday evening and spent a good deal of time last night reviewing it." Inui explains, "It has been concluded that Midoriya Izuku can be diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, severe anxiety, ADHD, and depression. The boy is extremely intelligent. I would like to get an IQ test done at a more suitable time." 

While not surprising, that's a lot to digest.

"I see, and do you feel the on site conclusion of a psychotic break to be correct?" Tsukauchi then asks. 

Hound Dog thinks a moment, "I do, to a certain extent. Izuku has reported hearing a voice in his head. He also claims that said voice was the one who performed the violent actions of yesterday's incident and not Izuku himself. And while it was initially thought to be trauma response or a developed protective personality..." He trails off, "We have developed a different theory after the events of last night." 

This catches the detective's attention, "What kind of theory? Eraserhead mentioned it but I would appreciate the full explanation." 

"We cannot know for sure yet," Nedzu begins, "But we believe this may be a case of a forcibly manifested quirk. One that has come about as a result of Izuku-kun's many years of abuse at school." 

Things just got even more interesting. 

"And what further measures need taken to prove this theory to be correct?" Tsukauchi asks. 

"We would like to review the camera footage from yesterday to see if what we observed last night is also present in Izuku at the time of the incident." Nedzu answers. 

"I have also requested the staff perform a blood test, should Izuku be comfortable with it, to test for a newly acquired quirk factor." Inui adds, "His medical records state that he does have the extra pinky toe joint and tested negative for a quirk factor when his mother took him to a specialist when he was four." 

"Then by the sounds of it, we need to review the footage before any further conclusions can be drawn." Tsukauchi states, standing up, "I can take the paperwork you brought and add it to Izuku's file. Then we can head down to review the footage." 

---

The three head out into the hallway and onto the main floor. Just as they are reaching the large open area of the main floor of the precinct, none other than Hawks walks through the doors. 

"Hello everybody and good morning." The winged hero greets with a two fingered salute. 

Tsukauchi is still deciding if he's surprised Hawks is here. 

"Greetings Hawks!" Nedzu chips, "It's wonderful that you could make it this morning." 

Ah, so the principal is to blame for this development. 

"I am one of the pros on this case am I not? Consider my presence one in place of Eraserhead for now. Given he's got better things to do." Hawks replies. "I appreciate you giving me the heads up on the footage review Nedzu." 

Nedzu's smile sharpens, "It was my pleasure. I think it best we are all on the same page from the start." He replies, "Now then, shall we head to the projection room?" the rat proposes. 

"We shall." Hound Dog replies, clearly not in the mood to question Nedzu's decisions. 

Which is something Tsukauchi has noticed that all the UA staff in common. Must be a learned tactic after constantly being subject to Nedzu's special brand of chaos. 

                                                 

---

After getting settled in the projection room and everything set up, it's time to finally see what happened. 

 

The day started of course with an empty classroom. Then, relatively early in the morning still, Izuku walks in.

With resigned monotony the greenette removes the spider lily that was left on his desk and begins cleaning something off the surface of his desk. It appears to be writing of some sort.

Those watching from the other side of a screen exchange uneasy glances. They can only image what was actually written on it. Kids can be quite cruel after all. 

 

Classes play out slowly, Izuku being called out and ridiculed at every possible opportunity.

Then he heads to his locker for lunch, where he's surrounded by three boys his age.

"Do we know who these three are?" Hawks asks, the edge in his voice is impossible to miss. 

"I know that the blond is Bakugo Katsuki." Tsukauchi tells him, "The others I will have to check the school roster."  Although he does recognize two of them from the list of fatalities.

 

That's when all hell broke loose. One of Izuku's would be assailants goes to harm the boy, but Izuku reacts first. He pulls a scalpel from his pocket and slices at the boy's extended fingers. It's clear he's targeting a weakness of some sort. Blood starts flowing from the wounds as Izuku strikes the other hand. 

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." Izuku's broken voice can be heard mumbling, "It hurts. Make it stop."

 

"I would like to know where he acquired the scalpel from." Hound Dog cuts in. 

"His mother is a nurse and works on a surgical floor for the most part. She must have had a professional grade first aid kit at home that Izuku could have taken it from." Tsukauchi answers, which seems to satisfy the hound hero for now. 

 

The bleeding boy stumbles back, and Izuku turns on the others. He shoves the chubbier boy backwards and he tumbles and rolls. The strength behind the blow seems almost superhuman, at the very least past the small teen's capability. 

Without the boy in front of him the camera gets a clear look at Izuku. A manic smile stretches across his face and blood already splatters his uniform. 

But his eyes, oh his eyes, they glow a vibrant, piercing green. Pupils dilated yet focus seemingly foggy he continues on his justified war path. 

 

"There! His eyes, do you see them?" Nedzu points, calling their attention to glowing green irises, "They are glowing and clearly dilated." 

"I see what you mean Nedzu, let's see what else this apparent quirk can do." Hawks replies. 

 

Izuku pulls a gun from his bag and points it at the boy he shoved. His aim seems steady and his form flawless. It makes one wonder if he's had any training. Or is this simply his would be quirk at work. As Izuku does so his lips move, but no words are heard. 

He pulls the trigger and hits his mark. The near point blank range causes the boy to recoil back with the force, crying out in pain. He falls to the floor and does not get up. 

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." Izuku mumbles out again, voice off from his usual pitch and slightly louder than the first time, "No more. No more hurting."  He commands, crimson splattering his face and the the gun in his hand. 

 

"Where did he even get a gun?" Hawks demands, "And how does he know how to use it so well?" 

"The gun is registered to Bakugo's mother, Mitsuki. She informed us that she did not give it to him, Izuku even left a note detailing this in the gun safe. Izuku has had no formal training with fire arms to her knowledge." Tsukauchi informs. 

"I see, so this may be another facet of his quirk then," Nedzu deduces, "It enhances his coordination and from the looks of it his strength." 

 

Izuku then fully faces Katsuki, who is staring at him with wide, horror filled eyes. In one hand Izuku holds the scalpel, in the other he clutches the gun. 

Katsuki shifts his weight and looks to be attempting to attack Izuku, but the greenette is unfazed. 

He shoots Katsuki in the right shoulder and the force of the blow sends the blonde stumbling back and falling to the floor. Katsuki holds his hands up to defend himself, starburst explosions beginning to crackle from his palms, but Izuku seems to have a plan for that too. 

Izuku slashes across Katsuki's raised palms, leaving several lacerations in each. 

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." Izuku's voice can be heard clearly now, as if he's more sure of his actions, "Make it stop. No more hurting. No more."

And as Katsuki remains on the floor, clutching at his wounds desperately, Izuku moves on. 

 

"Izuku knew exactly how to deal with Katsuki Bakugo. And the other two boys for that matter. And by the way Katsuki reacted to the series of attack tells you this was personal." Hound Dog points out.

 

 

Izuku grabs a second cartridge from his yellow backpack then walks slowly down the hall. Most of the other students have vacated the area by this point. However Izuku seems to still have one target in mind. 

Izuku arrives at his classroom and faces his teacher. The man's eyes widen in terror as Izuku walks in, scalpel in one hand and gun in the other. At this point blood splatters the majority of the psychotic teen's form.

The teacher foolishly goes to grab Izuku, and as a result the glow in Izuku's viridian eyes flashes brighter for a moment. 

Then with incredible speed and competency, Izuku slashes at the teacher. Over and over and over again he cuts into the man's torso and arms, speed increasing with each slash. 

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." Izuku commands, "Leave me alone. I didn't do anything. Make it stop hurting." 

The man falls backwards and to the floor, causing his blood to paint everything around him, having lost consciousness. Despite this, Izuku still shoots him once in the head.

 

"Now that is not something he should be capable of doing." Hawks declares, "Despite the obvious desperation, each stroke was precise and perfectly executed." 

"I have to agree," Nedzu responds, "And when the teacher went to grab him, his eyes flashes and even brighter glow. It's as if it was reacting to a perceived threat." 

 

Several of the remaining students in the room cry out in alarm or fear, thus drawing the attention of the psychotic teen. And with only a moment of consideration, Izuku opens fire on the room. 

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." Izuku says, raising the gun as he does so, "Make it stop, you never listen, no more, no more." 

 

Then it all falls silent. 

Izuku stumbles to the corner of the room, the glow in his eyes flickering out gradually. And it's as if he's seeing what he has done for the first time. The teen starts panicking, rocking in place as his breathing picks up. 

Then he pauses, and raises the scalpel in his hand to his throat. Only to flinch in pain and drop the blade, instead clutching his head as his eyes glow brighter once more. 

So instead Izuku just sits there, stuck inside his head. 

"It looked as though he intended to take his own life for a moment there." Hound Dog observes. 

"Only to drop the scalpel and clutch his head. His eyes brightened, as we have discovered denotes his quirk." Nedzu continues, "It would seem his quirk wasn't too fond on the idea. So it stopped him." 

"So then this quirk's main objective and purpose is to maintain survival then?" Tsukauchi questions. "That would make sense if it was forcibly manifested because of abuse." "Perhaps it pulls from his prior knowledge and makes use of it?" Hawks suggests, "When he was talking analysis with Nedzu and then asking me questions about my quirks his eyes seemed to glow then as well, just dimmer." 

"So you noticed that as well then Hawks," Nedzu comments, "I agree, his analysis, while a long running hobby, may also serve as a source of information for his quirk to call upon in dire circumstances." 

"His speed and strength were clearly enhanced as well." Hound Dog reminds them, "Perhaps his quirk has an enhanced application of what is called hysterical strength. This is a drastic display of enhanced human ability, usually seen when the individual is in life-or-death situations." 

"That could be possible." Nedzu agrees, "Naturally it will take some further testing to understand the full extend of his quirk." 

 

"So we are in agreeance that this was in fact a forcibly manifested quirk?" Tsukauchi asks. 

The three heroes nod. 

"That's not to say he didn't suffer s psychotic break, Detective." Hound Dog amends, "Because he clearly did. The quirk however could be considered the cause for the scale of violence and casualties." 

"And thus Izuku himself cannot be charged with homicide, manslaughter, or even assault." Nedzu declares. 

"And next to nobody is going to be happy about that decision." Hawks comments, "Given there's ten people dead, nine of which are children and two dozen wounded. Many are still hospitalized." 

"Be that as it may, there is still the matter of the abuse Izuku suffered to get to this point." Tsukauchi reminds them. 

"We need to launch an investigation into the school district itself. As for charges against specific people say Bakugo Katsuki for example, that is technically up to Izuku's new guardian." Hound Dog replies. 

"I'm sure Eraserhead will have a field day with that." Hawks jokes. 

Tsukauchi chuckles, "While you're not wrong. There is still the matter of the media to consider. This case has the potential to take the country by storm." 

There's a brief silence at that reminder. 

"I think that would be a topic for a later time. After the full extend of legal action has been determined. They can wait a bit longer if it means we get this right." Hawks suggests. 

"You're right, Hawks. There's still much to consider before we let the mass media get ahold of this." Nedzu agrees. 

"So for now we keep the quiet?" Tsukauchi questions. 

The other's nod. 

Nedzu presses his paws together, "That would be best for now. At least until we decide on the best course of action." 

---

---

Aizawa scrolls through his emails as Izuku leans against his side, talking to Stephan. 

Stephan had returned with the coffee, and an apple oddly enough, and informed Izuku that he needed to take his vitals. 

Izuku didn't seem to mind to much, he just sat back from his now finished meal and lets Stephan do his thing. He does ask questions as to what exactly Stephan was doing. And the blond is more than happy to explain each step and action he is taking as he performs his task. The constant explanation also seemed to soothe any lingering nerves that Izuku may have had. 

While Izuku had been eating, Stephan informed him of Inui's request for a blood test, should Izuku agree to it. The reason for it was included in the update email that Nedzu had sent Aizawa this morning. Aizawa agreed they would talk it over with Izuku. He'd rather not stress Izuku out this early in the day. 

Once Izuku's vitals were taken, Stephan offered to play cards with Izuku. It did not escape Aizawa's notice that Stephan was attempting to distract Izuku so the hero could divert his attention to something else for a bit. 

Luckily, Izuku was very excited at the prospect of playing a game with someone. So long as Aizawa wasn't going anywhere of course. 

Having finished what work he could see too from his phone, Aizawa decided now is as good a time as any to ask Izuku about potentially having blood taken. 

"Izuku, we have a question for you." Aizawa begins, getting the teen's attention. 

"What is it?" Izuku asks, sounding slightly worried. 

"We wanted to know if you were comfortable having blood taken. Hound Dog wanted to run a few tests, but only if you are absolutely okay with it." Aizawa asks him. 

 

Izuku takes a moment to think it over. 

---

Izuku wasn't expecting to be asked his permission for something like this. As far as he knew, doctors just did as they pleased. He has to admit he kinda likes being asked if he's okay with something before they do it. 

As for the blood test, Izuku isn't sure. He's never really minded needles, and he has a high pain tolerance to begin with. Maybe he should ask Variant? 

~I don't see a problem with it. We don't fear needles.~ Variant's answer echoes in his head. 

That's that then. 

"It's okay. I don't really mind needles." Izuku tells them, "And Variant says it fine too!" 

Stephan gives them both a quizzical look at the mention of Variant. 

That's right! Stephan doesn't know he named the voice. 

"Variant is the new name for the voice in my head." Izuku informs him, "We decided on it this morning. Because he's another version of me. One the keeps me safe." 

Stephan nods, "I see. Well I think it's a great name!" he replies. "If you're sure you're okay with it, I'll go get the stuff I need to take a blood sample, okay?" He asks. 

"Okay!" Izuku chirps. 

---

                                                                                          

The process of drawing blood itself went surprisingly well. Izuku didn't react negatively at all. 

Although he did seem to fixate on the blood flowing through the tube and into the vials. It was quite unnerving. 

Surprisingly, Izuku did not ask what kind of tests were being run, much to Stephan and Aizawa's relief. They weren't ready to try and explain that Izuku might have a quirk to him yet. 

When all was said and done, the samples were sent off to the lab for testing. A few other generic tests were run as well. But the main one was indeed to test for a newly acquired quirk factor in Izuku's genetic code. 

Later that night, Stephan took a moment to just stare at the sheet.

Positive. 

It's official then. Izuku has a quirk. 

Notes:

Greetings my dudes.
I'm back with another chapter already. I hope you all enjoyed it.

It's official, Izuku has a quirk.
I loved writing the Variant scene. There's so much I want to do with this quirk it's crazy. So you had best prepare yourselves for next chapter. I have plans.
How about Stephan though? Isn't he epic. I love him, and Erin. Only Erin could so casually respond to almost being stabbed in her own kitchen (not that Stephan lets her cook. It doesn't end well!)

That said, thank you all once again for reading. I get to divert my attention to lectures and programming homework now. Fun fun fun.

Let me know what you think! You have seen what your comments do to me!

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 6: Insanity Is My Strife

Summary:

Insanity is my strife
Wielding the edge of a knife
The need to kill
a scarlet thrill
forbidden sins of reaping life
~~
Tsukauchi meets with the Bakugos, Nedzu gets his hands on Izuku's notebooks
Aizawa is called to the main case debriefing leaving Izuku with Stephan.
Chaos ensues.

Notes:

Back again! This chapter took a while to type out. I've been quite busy.
On the bright side, it's also much longer.
You're welcome!

This is my favorite chapter so far. My favorite chapter to go with my favorite stanza of my poem.
It fits.

Enjoy guys!

Tsukauchi was not looking forward to this meeting. 

He is on the way to his meeting with the Bakugos at Musutafu General Hospital. Their son, Bakugo Katsuki, is still being kept in care due to the injuries he sustained during the incident. 

After the assessment of the video footage from the incident, and the decision that this was indeed a forcibly manifested quirk; it has become clear that Izuku cannot be charged with anything due to the nature of the incident. 

That's just another thing that Tsukauchi gets to tell the Bakugos, and the many other victims of the psychotic teen and their families: that there will be no charges against Izuku, and some peoples eyes, no justice. 

If you were to ask Tsukauchi this is poetic justice in it own right, but for Izuku. For all the years his suffering was ignored, now his tormentors get to see what it feels like, in a sense. 

There is also the matter of Katsuki being one of Izuku's main bullies. And while Izuku can't be charged with anything, Katsuki can. It all depends on if they decide to press charges against the teen himself and the results of the investigation into the school as a whole. 

 

Having reached Katsuki's hospital room, Tsukauchi takes a deep breath. Then, he knocks. 

 

The door is roughly ripped open by an angry looking blonde woman. "We told you all to leave us damn well alone!" She practically shouts as she opens the door. 

Then she sees Tsukauchi. "Oh, you must be the detective I spoke with on the phone." She says in a much more civil, if not still abrasive, tone. 

Tsukauchi nods and bows slightly, "That is correct, I am Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. Thank you for meeting with me today Bakugo-san." 

 

Bakugo Mitsuki huffs, "There's no need for such formalities. Just call me Mitsuki, given all three of us are 'Bakugo'." She says, stepping away from the door and leading the detective into the room. 

 

Inside the private hospital room, the two other Bakugos are present. A brown haired man who must be the father, Bakugo Masaru, sits in one of the chairs near the bed. And sitting in the bed, is one Bakugo Katsuki. 

The blond is determinedly not looking at the detective, instead keeping his focus on the window to his left. His right shoulder is wrapped in bandages under the hospital gown and looks to be just hanging. Resting on Katsuki's lap are his hands, which appear to be completely bandaged in white gauze then wrapped in compression bandages. Looks like Izuku got his tormentor good. 

 

"Hello detective, I'm Masaru Bakugo, Masaru is fine." The brown haired man speaks up as his wife joins him in the chair beside his own. "Feel free to take a seat." He offers. 

Tsukauchi accepts the offer, knowing that this will no doubt be a long conversation. "Thank you." He replies, sitting down, "I think we all know in general why I am here." He then begins. 

"Of course we do. It's about the incident yesterday. The one where the brat was attacked." Mitsuki replies pointedly. 

 

So that's how this is going to go. Do the two parents even know what their son has been doing to Izuku all these years? 

"That's correct, in a sense." Tsukauchi confirms, "I'm here to ask a few questions regarding the incident then to discuss our next courses of action we have planned so far." 

"That sounds fine." Masaru replies, "Ask away detective." 

So that's what Tsukauchi does, "First off I would like to ask permission to record this conversation. As such, I must also inform you of my quirk."

"You can record us. I don't fu- really care." Mitsuki replies. 

"Excellent. On that note, my quirk is called Lie Detector. It allows me to know if a spoken statement is true or not. As such I will require verbal responses." 

Tsukauchi doesn't miss the slight tension that spreads through Katsuki's frame. 

Moving on, he asks his first question, "I'd like to ask about the note Mitsuki-san had mentioned Izuku left in her gun safe. Did you bring it with you?"

Mitsuki's face twitches in annoyance at the honorific, but she says nothing about it. "I did. It's in my purse in Ziplock bag." She tells him. "I'll go grab it." 

The blond woman retrieves the note and hands it over to the detective. A quick read of the note shows that it does indeed explain that Izuku took the gun without their knowledge. All that's required is a handwriting and fingerprint check. Although Tsukauchi can see the clear resemblance between this writing and that in the notebook he handed over to Nedzu after they reviewed the footage (the rat looked far too pleased with himself as he was receiving it).  

 

"That settles that then. Thank you for handing this over." Tsukauchi says to her. 

"I just wanted to make sure it was clear that I didn't give a gun to a child, not to mention a child with no training." Mitsuki explains, which is understandable. 

"Of course. Onto my next questions then." Tsukauchi replies, taking the obvious dismissal with grace, "I would like to request at full summary of the injuries your son sustained for the case records." 

There's an unimpressed scoff from the bed, "Shitty Deku ruined everything." Katsuki mutters. 

"Brat!" Mitsuki snaps back, "Watch your mouth around the detective. And what did I tell you about calling Izuku that?" 

Izuku? They must be close with the Midoriyas then. Or perhaps its just Izuku's mother that holds up the friendship. It's quite clear their sons want nothing to do with each other; if the nickname meaning 'useless' is any indicator. 

"What's it fucking matter? That's what his is isn't he? Fucking useless." Katsuki snaps back. And oh, it takes all of Tsukauchi's self control not to jump in and defend the boy. 

"You're just pissed after what he did to you. Not that I can really fucking blame you." Mitsuki retorts. 

"He fucking shot me and sliced up my hands. Of fucking course I'm pissed off." Katsuki shouts in response. 

Oh boy. This is falling apart real fast. 

"Now now you two. Save it for when the good detective isn't here. He doesn't need to listen to this." Masaru tries intervening. It's the thought that counts, Tsukauchi supposes 

 

Surprisingly, that seems to settle them down just enough to be considered civil.

"Whatever." Katsuki mutters, looking back out the window. 

Mitsuki huffs. "I'd say the brat has every right to be pissed. Izuku has basically taken Katsuki's quirk from him. 

 

What? 

"Can you elaborate on that please?" Tsukauchi asks, stunned. 

"Katsuki's quirk involves the nitroglycerine that sweats from his hands and wrists. He then uses his palms to ignite it and cause explosions." Mitsuki explains. 

"However the wounds he sustained managed to not only damage those sweat glads due to the intensive healing process, but they also cut through the many tendons and ligaments in his hands. Even if he could create explosions, his hands and wrists wouldn't be able to handle the knock back from them. Same with his right shoulder, it's going to take months of physical therapy to regain full motion and usage of them all." Masaru explains. 

 

And isn't that something. The quirkless victim has rendered his long time bully medically quirkless while he himself developed a quirk. Poetic justice indeed. 

"Can't fucking be a hero without a fucking quirk." Katsuki snaps, although his voice sounds strained and slightly choked. 

 

"I see, that is unfortunate." Tsukauchi replies. But really, is it? 

"In case you're wondering, we do plan to press charges." Mitsuki declares, and Tsukauchi has to suppress a flinch, "Don't get me wrong, I love Inko like a sister and Izuku is basically my nephew. But this is too much to ignore. The damn brat needs to held accountable." 

 

And there it is, the ultimate underlying issue. 

"With that in mind," Tsukauchi begins, "I must inform you that Izuku cannot be charged with anything." 

Silence greets his words. 

"Why the fuck not? He attacked my son!" Mitsuki explodes.

"Because it has been discovered that a quirk was responsible for the incident itself." Tsukauchi explains. 

"Then who the fuck was it that hit Izuku with a quirk that made him go out and kill people? I want to see them held responsible." Mitsuki insists. 

"You misunderstand me." The detective replies, "Izuku himself developed a quirk. It has been deemed a forcibly manifested quirk." 

 

The other three in the room just stare at him for a moment. 

"There's no way Deku has a quirk." Katsuki insists. 

"Forcibly manifested?" Masaru muses. "But those only happen as a result of extreme trauma or danger. How was Izuku put in that sort of situation?" 

Tsukauchi resists the urge to sigh, "Why don't you as your son that?" he suggests, composure slipping. 

"That fuck is that supposed to mean?" Mitsuki demands. 

"It has come to our attention that what Izuku did was a combined result of forcibly manifested quirk and a violent psychotic break." The detective elaborates, "Izuku has suffered bullying and down right abuse at his school for years. And one of those discovered to be largely responsible is, in fact, your son." 

"Katsuki..." Masaru begins faintly, "Tell me that's not true." 

 

The teen is silent for a moment. "Then I'd be lying to you old man." He snaps, although his voice lacks it's usual bite.

His parents are stunned. 

"I must ask for the record, Katsuki-kun. Did you bully Midoriya Izuku for years? That includes using your quirk on him, along with verbally and physically abusing him." 

There's a slight pause. 

"Yes. But he deserved it. And I'd hardly call it fucking abuse. I was just putting him in his place." Katsuki answers. 

"True." Tsukauchi says in response. "But it was abuse. You have physically scarred  Izuku. Your actions and the actions of others at the school pushed him to the point that in his mind, he had no choice but to lash out. That said we will be launching an investigation into the school district as well." 

"Will...will there be any charges pressed against Katsuki?" Mitsuki asks, her earlier temper having vanished. 

"That is up to Izuku's guardian. Seeing as how he is with Izuku at all times, we have yet to fully discuss the matter with him." 

"Guardian? He? What are taking about? He's Inko's son." Mitsuki tries to correct. 

Tsukauchi shakes his head. "Not anymore. She signed away custody yesterday." Tsukauchi tells her, "That's all I am at liberty to disclose." 

Just one more thing that has brought the Bakugo's reality as they knew it crashing down around them. 

 

"I see." Mitsuki replies. "Are there any more questions for us detective?" she then asks. 

"Not at present no. I will reach out to you if something comes up." He tells her, ending the recording. "Now I will be taking my leave. Thank you for your cooperation." He says, standing. 

"Thank you detective. Have a good day." Masaru replies. 

 

And with that, Tsukauchi leaves the room. 

---

---

Nedzu sits at his desk, having returned to UA, with Izuku's notebook resting on the table in front of him. He had received it earlier in the day from Detective Tsukauchi and has been looking forward to reading it. 

And read it he did. Every single line of writing, which spans well past the margins, right down to the smallest annotation on pictures. He carefully examines every impressive drawing and vague sketch or doodle. He takes in the truly mind blowing analyses and ground breaking theories. 

Nedzu also takes note of the fact that this is labeled as 'notebook number 13'. He must get his hands on them all, to keep them out of the hands of villains and, of course, to satisfy his own ravenous curiosity.  

Nedzu picks up his desk phone and dials a number into it. Barely two rings later does someone pick up. 

"Hey Nedzu. What can I do for you?" a cheery voice greets.

"Hello Hawks. I have a request related to Izuku if you have the time." Nedzu replies. 

"I'll always have time for the little buddy. What's up?" 

"I just finished going through Izuku's notebook. And it appears to be one analysis notebook of many. I was wondering if you could perhaps stop by Izuku's mother's residence and pick up the others. I can also contact Eraserhead to see if there is anything else at present that needs retrieved." Nedzu elaborates, then takes a sip of his tea. 

"The book was that impressive was it? I'm hardly surprised given the conversation you guys had yesterday. I can totally stop by and get the rest of them. All I need is an address." Hawks tells him. 

"Excellent. I shall be sending it over to you shortly. Thanks again Hawks!" Nedzu chirps.

"Anytime, Nedzu, anytime." Then the two end their brief call. 

 

Nedzu laughs maniacally, This is going to be fun. 

---

Having arrived at the location that Nedzu provided him, Hawks takes a moment to think over how he should go about doing this. He really does hope Izuku's mother (if you can still call her that) is even home to let him into the apartment. 

 

Well, there's only one way to find out.

Hawks knocks on the door. He hears approaching footsteps and a feminine voice calling out "Coming!" 

Then the door opens to reveal a green haired green eyed woman. Hawks can definitely see the family resemblance.

"Oh! You're....oh let me think..." The woman pauses a moment, "the number three hero right?" 

"That's right! Hawks at your service." The winged hero replies with a slight bow. "Although, I actually was hoping you could help me with something Midoriya-san." 

"Oh please, just Inko is fine. And what can I do for you Hawks?" she asks, seeming slightly taken aback. 

"You see ma'am, I'm one of the heroes working Izuku's case." He begins, and he can see how her expression darkens, "And we were hoping you could provide us with Izuku's analysis notebooks. He told us the rest of them were here." 

"Those old things? Yes I know where they are." She replies. "Please, come in. I'll show you to Izuku's room." 

"Thank you Inko-san." Hawks responds, and follows her inside.

As he follows behind her, he releases a few feathers to investigate the rest of the apartment. It might be a breach of privacy, but he wants to make sure there's no chance of there having been abuse at home. If anything the apartment feels barely lived in.

"Here we are, Izuku's room. He used to have an All Might name plate. But he took it down for some reason." She tells him, standing to the side of the door. "You're okay to head on in. And if there's anything else you want to take to Izuku, you're welcome to. It's the least I can do given you heroes are taking care of him." She offers. 

"I may just take you up on that Inko-san. Thank you." Hawks thanks her, then he opens the door. It doesn't go unnoticed how the woman doesn't seem to want to enter the room. 

 

The sight that greets the winged hero is....interesting. He expected a hero themed room, given how much Izuku seems to love them. But instead he walks into a room with bare walls, certain squares are off color from the rest of the wall however, as if there were posters over them at some point. There's even places that still have tape of corners of said posters. It's clear that they were torn down in a hurry. 

 

"He really did take it all down. I had my suspicions but..." Inko can be heard speculating from the doorway. 

"What did he take down?" Hawks asks, making his way over to a stuffed bookshelf. 

"The room used to be filled with All Might merchandise, Izuku was quite the collector. But none of it seems to be out anymore. I wonder if he's finally gotten over his hero phase." Inko replies. 

Hawks bites his lip and focuses on scanning the bookshelves to keep himself from replying to her. No, Izuku hasn't gotten over his so called 'phase'. It's All Might specifically that's the problem. 

Yes, Eraserhead caught him up to speed when he told Hawks not to bring any All Might clothing when he packed some up for Izuku. And yes, Hawks saw how every single All Might page in that coloring book was slashed through in red colored pencil. 

"If you're looking for Izuku's notebooks they are in one of his desk drawers." Inko directs. 

Hawks nods and moves over to the desk. However when he goes to open them, he finds that they are both locked. That's not that hard to deal with though. Before Inko can even say anything about a key, Hawks has used one of his feathers to pick the locks on the drawers. And when he opens them, he finds the notebooks stashed in the very back, most of which are in excellent condition. The higher numbers however, are in various states of disrepair.

Hawks sets to work pulling them out and setting them on the desk. 

"Izuku should have a duffle bag in his closet." Inko speaks up. "You can use it to take whatever you need." She tells him. 

So Hawks heads over to the closet. And on the floor of said closet is a box covered in a bed sheet. Upon removing the bedsheet, Hawks finds an absolute mountain of All Might merchandise. That explains the empty walls and shelves then. Hawks replaces the sheet, and reminds himself that the next time he sees the number one hero, he's probably going to punch the guy in the face. After Eraserhead gets his shot in that is.

Hawks retrieves the duffle bag and sets to packing up a few changes of clothes and undergarments. He grabs a few hoodies and a pair of pajamas as well. All of which are hero themed in some variety, and none of which have anything All Might. Hawks even finds a few things of himself, which he finds awesome. 

He then places the notebooks into the duffle bag and zips the thing up. It's a bit heavy, but nothing he can't handle. 

 

"I think I have what I need." He declares, "Thank you for your help Inko-san." 

She waves him off, "It was no trouble. Just be sure to tell all the heroes involved to take good care of Izuku. The boy deserves it after all these years." 

And Hawks couldn't agree more. 

"Of course, I'll be sure to pass the message along." Hawks replies. 

Hawks then lets her see him out, and sets off for UA. 

He has a rat to meet with. 

---

---

Aizawa is sitting next to Izuku while the kid naps when he receives the call. Izuku's new meds have left him drowsy and over all out of it. 

Aizawa's phone, forever on vibrate, starts ringing in his hand and he is forever grateful it wasn't anywhere near Izuku when it started. 

Izuku is getting slightly better over the past couple of days. He isn't forever curled in on himself or constantly scanning the room for threats. No, but he still jumps at every knock at the door and hides himself in Aizawa's side. 

Izuku had agreed to meet the other nurses on the floor, especially the night shift ones who will have to act in Stephan's place should something happen. However he's forever wary and cautious around them, keeping a hand curled in Aizawa's sleeve the entire time they are near him. 

The kid has even left the apparent safety of their shared room a few times. It's required at certain points given their room has no bathroom and meals aren't typically served in them either. Izuku's eyes darted everywhere at once as he pressed himself against Aizawa's side, the two following Stephan as he gave them an enthusiastic tour (how the guy seems to always have so much energy Shouta will never understand). 

There are only a few other patients on the floor at present, however none of them are particularly loud, confrontational or violent. The woman with the white hair (Aizawa knows her face, yet still hopes he's not correct) did seem especially pleased with Izuku's presence, a small smile on her face as Izuku rambled to Stephan and a hero side kick that happened to be visiting someone on the floor. 

And finally, after having slept and woken up a few times to find that this, in fact, was not a dream, Izuku has stopped insisting on calling him Eraserhead. Instead the teen flips back and forth between calling the hero Aizawa or Shouta depending on how brave or nervous he is feeling at any given time. 

 

But Shouta digresses, he has a call to answer. Looking at the caller ID he can see that it's actually his husband. He wonders if this is a work related or personal call. He hasn't been home yet since first saving Izuku, but he knows Naomasa is just as busy with Izuku's case, so either are just as likely.

"Hey Nao." He greets as he raises the phone to his ear. 

"Hey Sho, how are you? Is now a bad time?" his husband asks in reply. 

Shouta shakes his head despite the other not being able to see it, "No, Izuku is asleep beside me. I can talk for a bit. Why? What's up?" 

"First off, it's nice to just hear your voice. The apartment is terribly empty without you around." His husband tells him. 

"You have five cats there with you Nao, how can it be empty?" Shouta teases. 

"I knew you'd say something like that. But you know what I mean. After all you say the same thing when I have to work away from home for extended periods of time." Naomasa teases. 

"And what is the other reason you called?" Shouta asks, abruptly changing the topic. 

Naomasa chuckles, "I called to see about catching you up to speed on the progress we've made with Izuku's case. I figured you'd appreciate being informed over the phone rather than a lengthy email." He explains to him. 

"You're correct, I do. It's only logical that this is the better way to do it. I can ask my own questions and give my own input better this way." Shouta replies.

"Of course, I agree. Now then, let me get started." Naomasa responds. 

And Shouta listens. He listens to the surprising amount of progress that has been made. He is told about Hound Dog's diagnoses, about Izuku's quirk, the starting stages for an investigation into the school, the meeting with the Bakugos along with a few other families and Nedzu and Hawks making for a truly terrifying duo throughout it all. 

"I hate to do this to you Sho, but the next step is the full case debriefing. And as one of the heroes on this case you are required to be there." Naomasa explains, "That and we need your statement about what happened in the classroom, despite us having watched the footage. You're also the one who has spent the most amount of time with Izuku, and you can help give us a better perspective on the child we are dealing with. Unfortunately there are still quite a few officers on the case that don't seem to understand Izuku is a victim as well.." 

Shouta sighs, "That may be difficult to pull off. Izuku still won't leave my side for long." He informs, "I will talk with Stephan and see what we can arrange. I will have to bring it up to Izuku as well. But I'm not bringing anything up today, the kid will just worry about it till tomorrow when it happens. So you won't have your answer until tomorrow morning." 

"I can live with that. Thanks Sho." Naomasa replies. 

"No, thank you Nao. I know you've had to put up with a lot in regards to this case. Not to mention I don't know when I'll be home again." Shouta counters. 

"I can tell Izuku means a lot to you. And I could never just abandon the case on account of it being difficult or complicated. I want to help. And I'm okay with you taking all the time you need to come back home. I would like to meet Izuku at some point. As your husband, not as the detective of his case." Naomasa tells him. 

"I can't wait for you to meet him. He really is a great kid." Shouta answers. 

Said kid starts to stir from beside him. 

"Speaking of which, I think he's starting to wake up. I'll talk to you later Nao. Love you." Shouta says softly. 

"Love you too. See you soon hopefully." Comes the reply. 

---

---

  Izuku woke up this morning feeling...off. 

It feels like there's something bad that's going to happen, something lurking in the shadows or lying in wait. It feels the way he always did a school; constantly on edge and cowering in fear. 

But there's nothing to be afraid of here is there? He's safe here....right? 

~Are we safe?~ Variant's voice questions. 

Variant doesn't know either? But he always knows! 

~We haven't been safe in a long time. You can't get too comfortable Izuku.~ the voice points out. 

Well, he does have a point. But Eraserhead, no, Aizawa is here. He's going to keep him safe. He promised! 

~You might be right. I hope you're right.~ Variant replies, ~I want to trust Eraserhead. But trusting is hard.~ 

Izuku can agree with that. Trusting is really hard. But Izuku wants to try and trust Aizawa. And if Variant is going to try too, then maybe they might just manage to one day.                                      

---

As promised, Aizawa brought up the issue of him leaving with Stephan once Izuku was asleep later that night. Drowsiness was one of the first side effects to come from the medication Izuku was now taking. The meds Hound Dog has begun to prescribe him are starting to take effect and would have Izuku pretty out of it by the end of the week. For now they would just have to keep an eye on the kid, but that's a given. 

Stephan and Aizawa both agreed that it would ultimately be up to Izuku whether or not Aizawa could leave. However Stephan did offer to stay and hang out with Izuku while the hero was gone. Izuku has taken quite a liking to him and is no longer nervous in the slightest around him. Stephan also brought up the potential plan of taking Izuku to see a few heroes around the hospital that Stephan knows of. Aizawa agreed it would be a great distraction but, once again, it would be up to Izuku. 

Which just leaves having the discussion with Izuku himself, the teen having just finished breakfast. 

 

"Izuku, there's something I need to ask you about." Aizawa begins. 

"What is it Zawa?" Izuku asks, using the nickname he's taken to calling the hero over the past few days. Stephan seems to find this development hilarious, at Aizawa's expense of course. 

"I need to attend a meeting down at the police station. It's hero work so it's important." He tells him. Aizawa's not about to tell Izuku that he's going to the case meeting for Izuku's own case. They've been doing their best not to bring up anything related to the incident that landed them all in this situation. It was better for Izuku that way, at least for now.

---

Izuku isn't sure how to respond to Aizawa's statement at first. 

It's for hero work, so it must be important right? Izuku would hate to keep Aizawa from performing his duties as a hero. He's caused enough trouble all ready. 

"If it's that important then you should go to it." Izuku tells him, "I don't want to trouble you any more than I already have." 

Aizawa doesn't respond immediately, he just shares a look with Stephan. "You've never been a problem Izuku." The hero tries correcting. 

Izuku doesn't agree with him, but knows it's best not to argue. If Aizawa needs to go do hero work, Izuku shouldn't try to stop him. 

~That would mean he's leaving, idiot. We'd be alone and without him to keep us safe.~ Variant hisses in Izuku's mind. 

Oh. That could be a problem. That won't work, that won't work at all. 

"Wait..." Izuku speaks up, "That means you're going to have to leave. Are you leaving me already?" he asks. Izuku can't help getting worked up at the prospect. Then again, it was only a matter of time until the hero had to leave him. 

"No Izuku, I'm not leaving you forever. I'd just be gone for the afternoon and maybe some of the evening. I'll come back here when I'm done. I need to keep you safe remember?" Aizawa tries assuring. 

~But he can't do that if he's not here.~ Variant points out.

"But, but you can't keep me safe if you're not here Zawa. That's what Variant says at least. Am I going to be all alone while you're gone? You can't leave me alone!" Izuku insists, starting to panic. 

"Nope! Because I'll be staying with you!" Stephan interrupts, "I'm going to take over keeping you safe while Eraser is gone. If that's okay with you and Variant of course." 

Izuku ponders this a moment. What does Variant think? Is that okay? 

~Stephan will do, I like him. He should be able to keep us safe.~ Variant answers, ~And don't forget I'm here too.~

That works, Izuku supposes.                                            

---

"Variant says that's okay. He likes Stephan."  Izuku answers, looking down nervously. 

As a result he ends up missing the smug look Stephan throws Aizawa's way. While Variant is trying to trust Aizawa, the hero has yet to get the voice to like him. 

Which makes Stephan the first to get Variant's approval. 

 

"If you're sure." Aizawa replies, "I'll give Stephan my number so he can call me if anything goes wrong. If anything does, anything at all, I'll come back. It's no trouble I promise." He tells the teen. 

Izuku looks between the both of them. "Okay. I-I think I'll be okay." 

"Then it's settled then!" Stephan exclaims. "You and me get to hang out for the day." He says, sounding way too excited. 

His enthusiasm does get a smile out of Izuku though, so Stephan counts that as a win. 

---

---

The time for Aizawa to leave came much too soon in Izuku's opinion. Yeah, he agreed to this, but that doesn't mean he isn't nervous. Eraserhead has been with him the entire time he's been here. And even though he promised he'd come back, Izuku can't help but have his doubts. 

 

"Y-you're sure you're coming back?" Izuku asks from his place in the hero's lap. He claimed it not long after agreeing to let Aizawa leave, not that Aizawa can blame him. 

"I'm coming back. I'll only be gone that afternoon, perhaps a bit into the evening. I'll definitely be back before you fall asleep." Aizawa assures. 

"Promise?" Izuku asks. 

"Promise." The hero echoes. 

"And you'll be safe right? You gotta stay safe too." 

Aizawa smirks, "Yeah, I'll be safe Izuku. You don't have to worry about me." Not that that's going to stop him. 

 

Soon enough, Stephan is waltzing into the room with an enthusiastic wave to them both. "Hey you two. I'm back!" he greets, walking over. 

He sits down on the end of Izuku's bed with them, an increasingly common occurrence. 

"Welcome back." Izuku replies softly. 

 

There's a brief silence. 

"Alright Izuku I need to go." Aizawa tells him. 

Izuku turns and buries his face in the hero's capture weapon. "Noooooo. Not yet." 

"Izuku..." Aizawa trails off, sending a somewhat helpless look over the kids shoulder at Stephan.

Stephan hides a chuckle behind his hand. "You can come sit in my lap if you want Izuku. You gotta let the guy go now. He'll be back, remember?" 

Izuku sits up and pouts at the nurse, looking like a sad kitten, giving him a once over. 

"Fine." He grumbles, looking at Aizawa again. 

The hero nods in reassurance, which seems to satisfy Izuku. Izuku then crawls off of Aizawa and claims his spot on Stephan instead. 

 

Aizawa stands up, watching Izuku make himself comfortable in Stephan's hold. The kid is definitely touch starved, but that's an issue for later. 

Thinking a moment, Aizawa has an idea. He pulls his goggles off from around his neck and drops them over Izuku's head and settles them around the kid's own neck. 

Izuku startles slightly, looking up at the hero with wide eyes. "You're giving we your goggles?" he asks. 

"Just to hold on to for me. That way you know I'll come back." Aizawa answers, "Take good care of them." 

"I will! Be safe Zawa!" Izuku chirps back. 

Aizawa hides a smile in his capture weapon. "Sure thing Izuku. See you later." 

And with Izuku watching him intently, he finally manages to turn around and leave the room.   

---

---

With Eraserhead having left, Stephan and Izuku sit in silence. Izuku is still in Stephan’s lap, occupying his restless and nervous energy but inspecting the goggles Eraserhead left with him, although his is trembling slightly. 

Stephan can tell Izuku would be content to just sit there and wait for the hero to come back. 

But that just won't do. Stephan has plans for today! Assuming Izuku agrees to them. 

 

"So Izuku, have anything specific in mind to do today?" Stephan asks. 

Izuku shakes his head, but says nothing. 

"Well we can't just sit here in silence all day, there's no fun in that." Stephan points out. 

Izuku just shrugs. 

Looks like Izuku gone nonverbal again. Stephan better act fast to fix this before Izuku falling into a depression now that Eraserhead now gone for the afternoon. While Stephan has the hero's cell phone number, he'd rather not have to use it. 

 

"So I had this idea that Eraser though you'd like." Stephan begins, and this seems to catch Izuku's attention, "We are in a hero hospital after all. Thus it only makes sense that we go and see about meeting some heroes." 

Izuku turns and looks up at him, eyes wide, "Can we really?" he asks softly, almost in disbelief. 

"Of course we can! It wouldn't have suggested it otherwise." Stephan replies. "That is assuming you and Variant are okay with going?" 

 

Izuku ponders this a moment. "Variant says that should be okay, I just have to stay with you so you can keep me safe if anything happens." He tells Stephan. 

"Excellent!" Stephan exclaims a bit too loudly, startling Izuku a in his lap, "But before we go, I think Hawks dropped off some of your clothes for you to wear while you're here. They've got to be more comfortable than the outfit you're currently wearing. We can grab something for you to change into." 

Hawks had, in fact, dropped off the duffle bag minus the notebooks earlier that morning. The ward staff just had to check over it thoroughly before letting Izuku anywhere near it, as is protocol. And he's only allowed to keep 3 shirts and three pairs of pants and a hoodie in the drawers in his room. The socks he has to wear have the nonslip bottoms that are standard issue at most hospitals. The rest of what Hawks brought is locked up in a closet with the rest of the other patients' stuff, all sorted into pink bins with their first names on them. 

 

Izuku seems excited at the prospect of getting to wear his own clothes finally and nods eagerly, "Okay!"  

---

About fifteen minutes later, Izuku is standing beside Stephan as he works on signing Izuku out for a walk. This was a lockdown floor after all, and the only real reason that Izuku was allowed to leave was that he hasn't had any violent outbursts since being admitted. Not that Stephan has any intention on telling Izuku that. 

 

As for Izuku's he's still running his thumbs back and forth across the frames of Eraserhead's goggles. He's already gotten changed and is currently wearing a pair of black yellow and gray sweatpants with the UA logo on them, a Present Mic Hands Up Radio shirt and a Hawks hoodie, all of which he's pretty sure didn't come from his own closet. Not that he's complaining, its all really nice stuff. And of course in his pocket is his feather, around his shoulders is his piece of capture weapon and handing from his neck are Eraserhead's goggles. 

 

"Okay Izuku! I think we are all set to go. Are you ready?" Stephan asks. 

Izuku thinks silently. Is he ready? 

~Its a hospital of heroes. They should keep us safe...right?~ Variant speaks up. Why is it that Variant doesn't sound too convinced? Is it because of the paranoid feeling they've had all day? 

~Something like that. I'm just not used to us being safe for this long. Something is bound to happen eventually.~ the voice explains. 

And while Izuku does agree, he's not about to miss out on a chance to meet some heroes in person. He wishes he had his notebook! 

"I think so..." Izuku trails off. 

Oh wait. Izuku grabs Stephan's hand, getting a startled look from the nurse, "Now we're ready!" he declares. 

 

Stephan, for his part, decides to just go with it. 

---

Their first stop was the visitor's lounge. This large common room-esque room is where any potential visitors to patients are checked in and directed to their destinations. It also ends up being a place where heroes from all over the country end up running into each other. So the room is also a bit of a social gathering in itself. 

Heroes Retreat is the largest hero hospital in Japan that solely treats pro heroes and their families. Some times hero students are also admitted to the facility depending on the circumstance. 

The visitors lounge is no doubt where they will find the most heroes. Said heroes more often than not come in civilian clothes. Stephan is looking forward to seeing how many heroes Izuku can recognize out of uniform (he may or may not have a running bet with Eraserhead). 

 

As they make their way down the halls, Stephan can't help but smile. Izuku, while sticking as close to Stephan as possible, it practically vibrating with excitement. He's also in a constant state of hyper vigilance, but that was to be expected given the amount of people around. Stephan is doing his best to lead the teen down the back halls and nurse passageways in order to avoid most of the hustle and bustle of the hospital. However as they get closer to the visitor's lobby the halls inevitably start to get more populated. 

 

Soon enough, Izuku has his arms wrapped around Stephan's own and is clinging to the blonde tightly. Stephan can feel him shaking and hear him mumbling. 

"We're safe, we're okay, we're safe. Right Variant? We're safe right?" Izuku practically chants under to himself (and Variant for that matter). 

It would be adorable if Izuku hadn't been admitted due to a state of psychosis a few days ago. The kid seems to be getting better every day, but as Stephan know's and Hound Dog warned, the high of being saved is going to wear off eventually. And when that happens, the true depth of Izuku's issues will be revealed. Which is part of why Stephan wanted to do this now, he wants to get in some fun for Izuku before things inevitably go to shit. 

 

"Lets take a break from walking, okay Izuku?" Stephan offers. 

Izuku nods faintly. "O-okay." 

Stephan leads them into an empty conference room and shut the door, locking it. The silence is heavy in the room compared to the noise of the halls. 

The blond watches as Izuku walks over to the far corner of the room, sits on the floor, and pulls his knees to his chest; effectively curling into a ball. 

 

Stephan suppresses a sigh. Maybe this was a bit ambitious to take Izuku on such an excursion. He keeps his steps soft and his movements telegraphed as he walks over to Izuku and sits down on the floor beside him. 

"You okay there Izu?" He asks, the nickname slipping out. 

Luckily Izuku doesn't seem to mind. "W-we're okay. I-it's just a lot. Variant is kinda freaking out with all the people." The greenette explains. 

"We can go back if we need to." Stephan offers. 

"No!" Izuku exclaims, "I-I want to go. I just need to sit here for a bit. We just need a break." 

 

So that's what Stephan gives him. They sit there in silence for about fifteen minutes, Stephan leaning against the wall and Izuku rocking back and forth slightly. 

Then Izuku takes a deep breath in and out, "I think we're ready." He tells Stephan softly. 

"You sure?" Stephan asks. 

Izuku nods, "I'm sure." 

"You'll tell me this time if you get overwhelmed right? There's nothing wrong with you wanting to go back if that's what you need to do. We can always try again another time, okay Izu?" Stephan asks. 

"Okay, I'll tell you. But I want to try first." Izuku replies.

"Great. You're doing awesome so far." Stephan tells him, standing up. He then offers a hand to Izuku. 

Izuku takes the hand and lets himself be pulled onto his feet. 

 

"Now then! Onward!" Stephan cheers as they open the door. This gains a few laughs and smiles out of some of the hospital staff near by, most of which are used to Stephan and his antics at this point. 

Even better is the fact that Izuku laughs with them. 

---

"You ready to go in Izu?" Stephan asks softly. 

They now stand outside of the staff door to the visitors lounge. Along the way they had to make two more stops for Izuku to calm down, but they made it in the end. 

"I'm ready. Let's go!" Izuku whispers back. 

Not needing to be told twice, Stephan opens the door and leads Izuku in by the hand. 

 

The room isn't as busy as Stephan has seen it in the past, but perhaps that's for the best this time. Izuku has pressed himself into Stephan's side as they walk into the room; wide, manic green eyes taking in every last detail, searching for any potential threats. 

 

"Hey look! It's Stephan! How have you been my dude?" A familiar voice asks the blond, walking over. 

Stephan would know that voice anywhere. 

"Cameron." He greets with a smile, "It's good to see you." 

"Right back at you. What're you up to?" the brunette asks, stopping in front of them. 

Izuku quickly hides behind Stephan. And Cameron, for all his good intentions and enthusiasm, doesn't seem to have noticed the teen's presence. 

 

"I was escorting Izuku here to the visitor's lobby. He wanted to meet some heroes." Stephan replies, looking down at his charge. 

Izuku peeks out from behind him, "H-hello." 

Cameron beams, "Hello there little dude! How are you?" he asks, crouching down to Izuku's level. 

"I'm okay." Izuku replies, just loud enough to be heard. 

"That's great! Are you keeping Stephan here out of trouble? He has a knack for finding it. Or maybe it finds him." Cameron comments, sending a smirk Stephan's way as he stands back up. 

"I do not!" Stephan defends instantly, "okay maybe I do. But still, it's not like you're any better. You and Erin drag me into all kinds of crazy things. And I'm not even a hero unlike the two of you." 

 

Cameron just laughs, "You're not wrong there. But you enjoy it, don't even try to pretend otherwise." 

Stephan glares at him, "I plead the fifth." 

"You're not in America anymore dude. How many times do I have to remind you the fifth amendment doesn't apply here?" Cameron jabs. 

"Probably as many as it takes to remind you to be careful and stop getting injured." Stephan counters. 

"Ouch. Okay fair. But I'm in the visitor's lobby this time. Opposed to the one being visited." Cameron tries to defend himself. 

"And who exactly were you here to see hmm?" Stephan asks. 

"You." Cameron says simply. 

Stephan sighs, shaking his head fondly, "Never change Cameron, never change." 

 

In the mean time, Izuku is wracking his brain to try and figure out which hero Cameron actually is. He's more of an underground hero than a spotlight, or a hybrid of the two, Izuku thinks. 

Oh! He's got it. 

"You're Ricochet, the vector hero." Izuku states, sounding sure of himself for once. 

The two hault their arguing to stare at him in surprise. 

"That's right!" Cameron exclaims, volume causing Izuku to jump. "You have a good eye." 

"I love heroes." Izuku tells him, "And I love to analyze them in my notebooks." 

"Really? Does that mean you've analyzed me?" Cameron asks, intrigued. 

"I have! Your quirk is so fascinating!" Izuku exclaims, stepping out from behind Stephan, "It allows you to manipulate and stock pile vectors in an object or even in yourself. It has so many applications, you can use it to enhance your own speed and movement or that of a projectile, giving you both ranged and close combat capabilities. You can also do support if you apply it to your allies and enhance their speed and movement. You can use it on rubble or other obstacles for rescue too. And-" Izuku cuts himself off, finally noticing the silence his rambling has caused throughout the room. The other's in the room had taken to listening to Izuku talk as well. 

 

Cameron, for his part, stands dumbfounded. "Wow. That's quite impressive little dude. Most people haven't really even heard of me, let alone know all that." Cameron points out. 

Izuku hides behind Stephan again, "It's not that great..." Izuku replies, unsure. 

"I beg to differ. I thought it was a really good analysis. You should have kept going." A new voice interjects. 

 

The three look up at the new arrival. 

"Hey Tensei. Here visiting a side kick or two I take it?" Stephan greets the dark haired man. 

"Yep! A few of them took some minor injuries while on a mission a few days ago. I was just coming to check up on them." Tensei confirms. 

"Well I guess proper introductions are in order." Stephan says, "Izuku, you've already met the loud one." He says motioning to Cameron and getting an undignified squawk is response, "his name is Cameron Oliver, he's one of my best friends and as you know, the hero Ricochet." 

Cameron gives a two fingered salute at the official introduction. 

"And this is-" 

"Tensei Ida. It's nice to meet you Izuku." Tensei cuts in. "Can you figure out which hero I happen to be?" he then asks. 

Izuku nods, coming out from behind Stephan once more, "Ingenium, the turbo hero." 

"You got it! You get to see the face under the hemet." Tensei jokes. 

"I actually did my internship and work study with Ingenium." Cameron tells Izuku, "He's great to work with." 

"Oh stop, none of that flattery here." Tensei replies. "I gotta ask though Izuku, are you an Eraserhead fan? I couldn't help but notice the goggles and mini capture scarf." 

Izuku beams at the mention of his hero, "Yeah! Zawa gave me a piece of his capture scarf when he saved me and he let me hold on to his goggles today so I knew he was coming back." Izuku explains, gaining the interest of all who could hear him, especially the other heroes, "He had to go to a hero meeting today, so Stephan is keeping me safe while he's gone. Right Stephan?" Izuku asks his nurse. 

"That's right Izuku. And I'd say I'm doing a pretty good job." Stephan confirms. 

The look on his face serves to confirm everything else Izuku had said about Eraserhead, much to the shock of everyone who knows the hero. 

"That's awesome Izuku." Tensei replies, making a mental note to bug Shouta about this later, "While you're here, what do you say to meeting some of the other heroes here?" he offers. 

"That sounds awesome!" Izuku replies, beaming a sunshine smile. 

And just like that, Izuku manages to win over a room full of heroes. 

---

                                                                                

Tensei happily proceeded to introduce everyone in the room to Izuku. It became routine to see if Izuku could identify who each of them were. And much to Stephan's delight, Izuku has yet to fail to do so. 

Somewhere along the way Gang Orca wandered in, surprised at first to see a child in the visitor's lobby. He soon found himself a target for Izuku's endless questions just like everyone else, much to the hero's delight. The man was worried Izuku would be scared of him as most kids tend to be, but no, Izuku was undeterred and rambled on none the less. 

A few other noteworthy pros Izuku got to meet included Ryuku, Fat Gum and even Best Jeanist. Ryuku seemed a bit flustered by all of the questions Izuku had, but gladly answered each one of them. Fat Gum was ecstatic to meet the kid, answering Izuku's questions and sharing some of his snack with the teen. Best Jeanist was determined to answer all of Izuku's questions, even going as far as to test some of Izuku's theories right there in the visitor's lobby. 

And Izuku just soaked all of it up, loving every minute of it. Gone was the shy hesitance in the face of his excitement. Variant still threw a fit over each new person Izuku approached and interacted with, but was ignored for the most part (something Variant did not appreciate). Izuku was disappointed that he didn't have his notebooks to write down all the answers he got and even get some autographs, but oh well.

 

Eventually, after an hour or two of non stop taking, Izuku was starting to get tired. He was leaning against Stephan more and more as the afternoon went on and kept rubbing at his eyes. At this point the heroes were taking turns telling stories about noteworthy battles or missions they were on, and Izuku was still hanging off every word, despite him clearly being worn out. 

When the kid started yawning was when Stephan finally decided to step in. 

 

"Okay Izuku, I think it's about time we head back." He says during a lull in the conversation. Izuku had been listening to Best Jeanist telling him an exciting tale of some of his more notable battles, at Izuku's request of course. 

Izuku looks up at him and blinks, "Do we have to?" he asks slowly, exhaustion clear in his voice. 

"I'm afraid we do, you look like you're about to fall asleep Izu." Stephan replies, ruffling the kid's hair. 

Izuku shakes his head, "No I'm not." He argues weakly, failing to sound even slightly convincing. 

"You look pretty tired to me little buddy." Fat Gum comments. 

The other heroes chuckle at Izuku glaring at the hero like a sleepy kitten. 

"You can always come back to see us again some time kid." Ryuku adds in. 

Izuku looks up at Stephan in silent question. 

Stephan nods, "We'd have to run it by Eraser first, but I don't see why not." 

"Okay. I guess we can go." Izuku concedes, clearly too tired to put up any more of a fight. 

 

After a round of goodbyes Izuku lets himself be lead out of the room by Stephan. 

On their way back there were several points where Stephan was worried he'd have to carry Izuku back. But Izuku managed to stay awake until they got back to the behavioral health wing.

---

---

Having arrived back to the halls Izuku was used to, he lets go of Stephan's hand and walks beside the nurse as they traverse said halls to Izuku's room. Izuku was quickly losing his battle against sleep as they got closer to the room. 

Then, as they are passing another nurse in the hallway, Izuku ends up tripping. 

On instinct, said nurse lunges forward and catches Izuku to keep him from falling. 

 

Stephan can practically feel it in the air when something changes in Izuku. 

Acting on instinct alone, he pulls the nurse that caught Izuku away from him. He moves her just in time to avoid her getting hit in the face with a rather pointed strike. 

 

To her credit, the nurse only stands there, stunned at the sudden change, for a brief moment. 

"I'll go issue a floor lock down. You can handle him, I would presume?" she asks.

Stephan nods, unwilling to take his eyes of Izuku, "Yeah I can. Keep the patients out of the halls. We don't need Izuku hurting anyone." He instructs. 

"Understood." Comes the reply, and the nurse dashes off. 

 

Izuku on the other hand is standing in a rough combat stance and watching the interaction. It's not a perfect stance by any means, bit it's certainly good enough form to get the job done. 

And then there's his eyes. Izuku's eyes are glowing a vibrant green as they watch Stephan's every move. 

 

This isn't Izuku then, this is Variant. 

 

Stephan relaxes his own stance, "Don't intend on hurting you." He tries. 

Clearly Variant doesn't believe him. 

Instead of making an effort to talk things out, (which never works in Stephan's experience) Variant bolts down the hallway. 

Shit.

And so Stephan takes off after him down the hall.

As they run, at a surprising speed he should add, Stephan pulls out his phone from his pocket. Eraserhead had given him his number for a reason after all. And if this is a quirk they're dealing with, who better to call. 

 

The line barely rings once before it is answered, "Eraserhead." 

"Eraser! It's Stephan." Stephan replies, taking a turn after Variant does.

"Stephan? Is there a problem? Is Izuku alright?" Eraserhead asks. 

"He's not hurt or anything if that's what you're asking." Stephan replies. Come on, he really needs to get to the point. "Nevermind that, just listen. Izuku tripped and one of the nurses tried to grab him to catch him. And Variant freaked out. I'm currently chasing Variant down the hall. I think he's headed back to his room." More like he hopes that's where he's headed. 

"Okay. I'll be there soon." Eraserhead tells him, taking this surprisingly well, "I trust you can handle Variant until then?" 

Stephan can't help but smirk, "Yeah, I can handle him. Quirk or no quirk, he's still inexperienced in a real fight." 

Shit, that implies that Stephan is experienced in a real fight. Oh well. 

"I'll leave you to it then. See you soon." Then Eraserhead hangs up. 

 

Stephan sighs as he shoves his phone back into his pocket. He really doesn't like the idea of fighting a 15 year old. But if there's anything he's learned, it's that Izuku is not to be underestimated, Variant or not. 

 

Variant reaches his room and darts inside. Good, that means they're not running in circles until Eraserhead get here. It also means Stephan is in a room with a rogue quirk. 

He has to admit he's a bit excited. It's been far too long since he's been involved in something like this. 

 

Stephan enters the room after Variant to see no sign of the kid. Suddenly, he's being attacked from the side and barely has time to dodge the kick that is aimed for his head. 

Oh. So Variant does know how to fight. Excellent.

 

Stephan ducks and rolls to the side, rising back to his feet in one fluid motion. Variant takes a few steps backwards as Stephan faces him, his own stance prepped for a fight. 

Variant comes at him again this time aiming a jab at Stephan's chest. Stephan deflects the blow and tries to get a hold on Variant. Variant does not take that well. The kid thrashes when he gets ahold of his arm, landing a flailing blow to Stephan's face, causing his nose to bleed. 

Having been stunned slightly by the hit, Stephan is forced to release his hold on Variant and is shoved roughly back. As Stephan stumbles, Variant presses him again. Before Stephan has even really registered another punch to the face, he is instinctually backflipping out of Variant's reach. The move is done with practiced ease, Stephan landing on his feet without stumbling.

Whether this is Variant or Izuku's knowledge, Stephan has to admit the kid has good battle instincts. 

Variant takes a step back and leans to the side to dodge two of Stephan's jabs to the shoulders and neck. While he's not trying to hurt the kid, he's still in a fight. Stephan is going to go for the knock out if he can manage it. 

Variant throws another punch and Stephan dodges it, leaning back and causing the fist to go over head. 

Then Variant sweeps his feet out from under him. Stephan falls heavily to the ground, landing on his butt. 

Variant stands over him, looking slightly unsure what to do for a brief moment. If Variant is pulling from Izuku's knowledge, it's worth noting that Izuku has probably never won a fight. 

Stephan takes the chance offered by the greenette's hesitation to work on getting back on his feet. He pushes up with his arms under him, and spins while stretching his legs out, using his momentum to push off and flip back onto his feet. 

The maneuver causes Variant to stumble backwards and away from him. This time Stephan presses him and aims a jab for his neck. However, Variant backflips to avoid the strike. 

What. 

The move was sloppy and Variant struggled to keep his footing when he landed. But he did land the backflip. It's almost as if he took watching Stephan perform one, then put that observation into practice. 

Terrifying. 

If Variant is learning from Stephan as the fight goes on, Stephan needs to end this sooner rather than later. If he can get a good hold on him, he can inject the fast acting sedative from the injection pen all psychiatric nurses keep on hand. Not ideal, drugging Izuku while he's under Variant's control, but better than risking him hurting himself doing things his body really can't do. 

With the goal to restrain Variant in mind, Stephan charges through the doorway towards the far hall wall. As expected, Variant pursues him. Stephan doesn't slow down as he reaches the wall, instead he jumps up and runs up the wall a couple of steps, followed by pushing off and flipping overtop of Variant who was behind him. 

Stephan lands behind the kid, then instantly sets to restraining him, crossing Variant's arms across the kid's chest by the wrists in a basket hold. 

Then, Stephan looks up and makes eye contact with Eraserhead. If the hero was at all surprised by the feat of acrobatics he just witness a nurse perform, he hides it well. 

"I'll cancel out his quirk, then you inject the sedative. That was your plan correct?" the hero says to him. 

Stephan only manages to nods as he is forced to tighten his hold on Variant, the kid thrashing in his hold with renewed vigor. Looks like Variant doesn't want to be deactivated. 

 

Eraserhead doesn't hesitate, he activates his quirk wile staring Variant in the eyes. Shining scarlet meets glowing green before the light dies from Variant's eyes and gives way to a terrified yet dazed Izuku. 

Stephan wastes no time injecting the sedative into Izuku's upper arm. 

Aizawa rushes forward to take hold of Izuku as the kid slumps forward, already falling under the sedatives effect. Stephan releases the kid as Aizawa wraps his arms around him and pulls Izuku close to his chest. Izuku's breathing is ragged and he trembles slightly, clutching Aizawa's jumpsuit like a lifeline. 

The hero slowly lowers them to the floor, keeping a firm hold on Izuku. Once seated he runs his hand through Izuku's curls as he rocks them both slightly. 

"It's okay, it's okay, you're safe Izuku." Aizawa tries to assure his charge, "I've got you, you're safe. I promise." 

Izuku whines slightly in response, trying to press closer to his hero, movements sluggish and uncoordinated. Izuku's glassy green eyes start to droop as the medication pulls him further and further into unconsciousness. 

The two continue like this until Izuku loses his fight against sleep. 

 

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! I'm back!!

I kinda binge typed the scene with Izuku meeting all the heroes. As a result that part has not been proof read. So apologies for any errors.

So what did we think? This was a loaded chapter. We finally get to see what happened to Bakugo. The idea of making him medically quirkless was one proposed to me by someone in my discord server. And the moment I read it, I loved it. Let me know what you guys think.
On another note, Variant! Variant comes out to play and ends up fighting Stephan. There's so much I want to do with Variant it's kinda insane (no pun intended).

All of the feedback from you guys continues to overwhelm me. Thank you so much! I'm glad you are all enjoying my fic!

It's like 2am now and I'm tired. So Ima cut this rambling author's note short

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 7: Once Again Pushed Over The Brink

Summary:

Once again pushed over the brink,
so familiar is what you feel
I was too afraid to think,
it reminds you that I am real
~~
The aftermath of Variant coming out to play.
Conversations are had and questions are asked.
The media finally get a proper hold on the the story behind the Aldera Incident.
Izuku spirals.

Notes:

IM BACK!

You guys are crazy. All these comments and kudos. I feel like I say this every chapter but, thanks so much!

This chapter was written completely out of order then pieced together. There's a lot of stuff covered and introduced here. So pay attention!

Enjoy!

When Shouta left the hospital, he'd be lying if he claimed he wasn't concerned. While he trusts Stephan to be able to handle the situation, he can't help but worry about how Izuku is going to react to Shouta's absence.

He gave Stephan his number and the nurse knows to not hesitate to call him should things go south. This meeting is important, but Izuku's health and stability is Shouta's priority right now. 

 

Upon arriving at the precinct, Shouta decides to pay his husband a visit, seeing as how he's a bit early for the case debriefing. It was nice to finally see Naomasa after four days of being with Izuku at the hospital and not having been home. When he had called Naomasa that morning to inform him that he would in fact be attending the meeting he asked his husband to bring some stuff from home for Shouta to take back with him. Things like changes of clothes, toiletries, a few books he had been reading, and his spare capture weapon. All of which had been packed into a duffle bag from their collection of various bags, totes and backpacks. Shouta decided to take it with him to the meeting so he could quickly grab it, should he need to make a hasty exit and return back to Izuku. 

Of course one of the first things his husband notices is that he doesn't have his goggles. Which Naomasa immediately starts questioning him as to where they are. Shouta simply tells him he left them with the kid as reassurance. Then proceeds to ignore the knowing looks he gets from his husband as a result. 

Kami, Nao really needs to meet Izuku so he will understand what Shouta is up against here.   

---

"There is something I need to give you Sho." Naomasa tells him as they sit in his office, both nursing cups of coffee. The coffee here is somehow better than the coffee at the hospital, which says a lot to how bad the hospital's coffee is. 

His husband gets up and heads over to the filing cabinet in the corner of his office. He pulls the bottom drawer open and starts searching through its various contents, all of which are bagged evidence from various cases. 

"We had taken Izuku phone from his bag and handed it over to our IT team on evidence to search." Naomasa begins explaining, pulling said phone, which is in an evidence bag still, out of the drawer after finally finding it, "After it was decided that the phone's contents had no relevance to the case, it was deemed safe to be handed over to Izuku's guardian." He tells Shouta. 

Naomasa then opens the bag and hands Shouta the phone, "Which happens to be you. So here you go. The password has been disabled so you shouldn't have any issues getting into it." 

 

Shouta takes the phone in hand. Just as promised, there is no passcode.

Upon unlocking it Shouta notices the kid has a ton of unread messages, especially for a child who claimed to have no friends (harsh as that may sound). So Shouta decides to indulge his own curiosity and checks to see who they are from. 

What he finds surprises him. 

 

----

Toshi aka @MustLearnControl : 

Two weeks ago

Toshi: Hey

---

One week ago

Toshi: havent heard from you in a while

Toshi: you okay Izu? 

1 missed call from Toshi

Toshi: youre not mad at me are you?

Toshi: did your mom take your phone?

---

Five days ago

Toshi: youre starting to worry me Izu

Toshi: dont make me come find you

Toshi: Izu? 

2 missed calls from Toshi

---

Four days ago

3 missed calls from Toshi

Toshi: I heard about the incident at aldera today

Toshi: you werent involved were you? 

Toshi: please tell my youre safe

Toshi: im going to tell the forum your missing if you dont respond

---

Today

4 missed calls from Toshi

---

 

"Someone has been trying to get ahold of Izuku for a while, Nao." Shouta informs, handing the phone over to Naomasa.

Naomasa takes the phone and reads the messages. "No one mentioned this to me at all. I'll look into it and see if there's someone who's asked about Izuku." 

"The contact says the name 'Shinso Hitoshi'. Is there anyone at the school with that name?" Shouta asks. 

Naomasa walks over to his desk and logs onto his computer. After a bit of searching he shakes his head. "No, there isn't anyone who attends Aldera with that name. Perhaps an online friend?" 

Shouta sighs, "I'll have to look into it." He checks the apps on Izuku's phone, "He has Chaos Chat on here. Although the kid doesn't strike me as the type to be apart of servers." 

Naomasa gives him a look, "Neither are you Sho, but you are an active member and moderator of one." 

"You know exactly why I'm on that server, Nao. Don't give me that look." 

His husband laughs, "Whatever you say." Naomasa checks the time and grimaces, "You'll have to check later, the meeting will be starting soon." He tells Shouta, walking back over to his desk to gather his stuff.

 

Shouta pockets the phone in one of his utility belt's pouches. "I am so not looking forward to this meeting." He admits while standing and stretching. 

Naomasa smiles, "I would be hard pressed to think of a meeting you had been looking forward to. At least this one you're more invested in than others." 

"The subject of this meeting has been clinging to me like a lifeline for the past three days and is a traumatized child. How am I supposed to not be invested in this case?" Shouta asks, opening the office door. 

"My point exactly." 

---

 

The meeting itself consists of Shouta, Naomasa, Nedzu, Hawks, Hound Dog and several other officers that had been assigned to the case. Some of said officers didn't seem to be overly impressed with the direction the case was proceeding in. 

If there is anything Shouta intends to remedy while he is here, it's their skepticism and attitudes toward the case. If they are going to be involved, they must be of the same frame of mind as the heroes they are working with.

This is going to be a long and character building afternoon in that regard.

The other thing they need to decide on as a group is the official statement they will be giving the media. They need to give the media a satisfactory amount of information and quickly so they don't go digging up something that they'd rather not be made public. Like Izuku's identity for example. 

It is also brought to Shouta's attention that as Izuku current acting guardian, he needs to decide if he's going to press charges against any of Izuku's bullies and/or the school itself. Well, it's really a question of it he's going to press charges against Bakugo Katsuki, seeing as how the other two boys who have been so far established as Izuku's main tormentors were among the ten left dead after the incident. 

Shouta knows he wants a full investigation into the school district for sure. He wants to know the full extent of what that school has been subjecting Izuku and perhaps other kids to. 

As for Bakugo he wants to know the full extent of what he has done to Izuku before deciding if it's worth taking a 15 year old to court. Although Shouta has a feeling there will be more than enough justification. 

 

As Shouta sits down in his seat in the conference room, he mentally prepares himself for a very long meeting. 

---

---

Barely a minute had passed since Izuku and Stephan left the visitor's lobby before Cameron was getting the attention of all the heroes in the room. 

"I have a great idea!" He exclaims. 

"Cameron, I hate to break it to you, but most of your 'great ideas' don't end well for you." Tensei tells his friend. 

"Well it's a good thing this has nothing to do with me then!" Cameron replies, not even trying to deny Tensei's statement. 

"I'll humor you then. What's your idea?" Tensei asks, the rest of the room no doubt listening in. 

 

"So I noticed that Izuku didn't have a notebook on him, despite talking about them the entire time he was here." Cameron explains, "Which also left us with no way to give him any autographs and the like." 

"I did notice that as well. Perhaps this trip was improvised?" Ryuku suggests. 

"That's what I was thinking. Maybe the little buddy has family in the hospital?" Fat Gum suggests. 

"That seems unlikely, given that would imply he's family to a pro hero." Tensei replies, "And given the way he was reacting to seeing all of us, I'm willing to bet he doesn't see heroes that often. So he probably isn't family to one." 

"That's a good point Iida-san." Fat Gum agrees. 

 

"So my idea." Cameron interjects, "I think we should get a notebook and all sign it. Then we can give it to Stephan to give to Izuku?" 

"We could even leave the notebook on one of the tables in here with a small explanation note. That would give it a chance to collect even more signatures." Best Jeanist suggests. 

"I like this. I'll go down and get a notebook from the gift shop." Tensei declares. 

"I'm coming to!" Cameron calls after him. 

And that was the origin of a notebook that was sure to become the largest collection of hero autographs to date. 

As they agreed on, they left the notebook in the visitor's lobby so other heroes and side kicks passing through would have a chance to sign it. Some of the heroes mentioned it to friends and colleagues of their who are also pros, so word of this notebook spread fast and it was quickly filling up page by page.  

---

---

The group was finalizing the media statement when Shouta received the call. He had already been gone most of the afternoon at this point. 

His phone starts ringing, interrupting Naomasa who was reading off a rough draft to the group. Shouta pulls his phone out immediately, ignoring the unimpressed looks from the other officers and the knowing look from Hawks. 

Caller ID:

Stephan James

 

Shit. 

Shouta holds up a hand to silence the room. Then, he presses the green answer button. 

"Eraserhead." He answers.

"Eraser! It's Stephan." Comes the reply, the nurse sounding a bit winded. 

"Stephan? Is there a problem? Is Izuku alright?" He asks, knowing full well Stephan wouldn't have called him if everything was fine.

"He's not hurt or anything if that's what you're asking." And isn't that encouraging, "Never mind that, just listen. Izuku tripped and one of the nurses tried to grab him to catch him. And Variant freaked out. I'm currently chasing Variant down the hall. I think he's headed back to his room."

Yep, definitely the worse case scenario. Shouta can see Hawks and Nedzu, both who have enhanced hearing, react to the news. Hawks frowns, and Nedzu's ever present smile falters considerably. 

"Okay. I'll be there soon." Shouta tells Stephan. "I trust you can handle Variant until then?" 

Stephan can pretend all he wants, Aizawa is certain the young man knows how to handle himself in a fight.

"Yeah I can handle him." Stephan replies, and Shouta can hear the smile in his voice, "Quirk or no quirk, he's still inexperienced in a real fight." 

Which implies that Stephan himself is experienced in a 'real fight'. Hence Shouta's earlier assessment of the nurse's true abilities.

"I'll leave you to it then. See you soon." Shouta replies, then he hangs up. 

 

While turning his attention back to the others in the room, he stands up. 

"That was a call from Izuku's nurse. Izuku's quirk is acting up and my presence is required." He tells them. "Someone please update me via email on anything I miss. Although I think we covered the most crucial points that involved myself. I hope to see the investigation into Aldera School District started by the end of the week." He says, eyes sweeping the room. 

 

"It's all good Eraser." Hawks replies, "Go help the little buddy out. We can handle the rest." He assures. 

"I shall certainly keep you updated on any further decisions and developments Aizawa." Nedzu tells him. "Please see to it that Izuku-kun is safe." 

"I would like a nurses report on what happens with Izuku if possible." Hound Dog requests, "If you let Stephan know, I'm sure he can see it handled. Good luck Aizawa-san." 

Naomasa just gives his husband a knowing look. "See you around Eraserhead." 

Aizawa nods to the room then quickly makes his way out of the station. 

And if he ends up traversing the rooftops to the hospital for the sake of speed, there's no one around to call him out on it. 

---

Upon arriving at the hospital, it turns out that, not surprisingly, the entire floor the unit is within is on lock down. To gain access to the psyche ward Shouta is required to swipe or present both his hero license and the ID he was given by the staff when he was officially appointed Izuku's chaperone. Several times in fact. 

Well, at least he now knows first hand the seer scale of this hospital's security measures. 

 

When Shouta finally enters the ward itself, he stops by the nurses station first to let them know has arrived. 

"Thank goodness you're here Aizawa-san." The charge nurse says to him. "Stephan insisted on handling Izuku himself while we locked down the floor. From what I could see on the cameras they entered Izuku's room about five minutes ago. You can leave your bag with us here if you'd like." She tells him, "Please, go help Izuku." 

Shouta nods and drops the bag by the doorway and makes his way down the hall. 

 

He rounds the corner to the corridor Izuku's room is in just in time to see Stephan bolt out of Izuku's room. The blond is followed closely by Izuku, no, by Variant. 

Shouta then gets to watch as Stephan parkours up the hall wall and proceeds to flip over top of Variant and land behind him, all with practiced ease. 

They're going to have a talk about this later, Shouta decides.   

He approaches them as Stephan manages to restrain Variant. Stephan makes startled eye contact with Shouta as he struggles to keep a hold on a thrashing Variant. 

"I'll cancel out his quirk, then you inject the sedative. That was your plan correct?" Shouta suggests, only taking a moment to realize what Stephan intended to do. 

Stephan nods just before Variant starts fighting harder to free himself. Clearly Variant doesn't like the idea of being deactivated. 

Wasting no more time, Shouta activates his quirk while meeting Variant's own panicked gaze. As red meets green the glow dies from the kid's eyes and leaves a dazed and fearful Izuku. 

Before Izuku really has a chance to react to having control over himself again, Stephan injects the sedative into the stunned teen's upper arm. 

Knowing what's coming, Shouta lunges forward to catch Izuku as he starts to drop to the floor. He wraps his arms around him and holds the kid close. Izuku is panting and trembling in the hero's hold. 

Shouta slowly lowers them both to sit on the tile floor. Having sat down he starts combing his hand soothingly through Izuku's hair while rocking them both with the teen settled in his lap. 

"It's okay, it's okay, you're okay Izuku." Aizawa murmurs loud enough for only Izuku to hear, "I've got you, you're safe. I promise." 

Izuku's breathing is gradually evening out and slowing down, his body going lax in Shouta's hold. Izuku lets out the occasional whine while trying to burry himself in Shouta's chest, his coordination and control slipping as the medication starts to take effect. 

 

They sit there with only Shouta's words breaking the silence, rocking back and forth, back and forth. Slowly, be it the overwhelming comfort or the sedative taking hold, Izuku's eyes start to drift closed, the time between blinks increasing as he fights sleep. 

"You're okay kid, you're safe. Just let go." Shouta tries coaxing. 

Izuku keens in response, tightening his weakening hold on the hero's jumpsuit once more. 

"I'll be here when you wake up. Rest now Izuku. It's okay, you'll be safe I promise." Shouta assures him, one hand running up and down Izuku's right arm, the other still running through green curls and scratching at the scalp. 

 

With everything becoming more and more fuzzy, while feeling safe and secure in his hero's hold, Izuku lets himself drift into sleep.  

---

Stephan stands back as Aizawa takes hold of Izuku and tries to calm the kid down. He takes a moment to catch his breath and calm his racing heart. While he stands there he sends the 'all clear' message to the nurses station over the pager in his pocket.

He has to admit that Variant put up more of a fight than expected. It would seem that the quirk is capable of copying an opponent's movements? Or perhaps it is more of case of seeing something and mimicking it himself? Stephan knows for a fact that Izuku shouldn't have been capable of doing a backflip. It makes him wonder where Variant got the muscle strength and flexibility to pull such a maneuver off. Just another thing to add to the list of questions regarding this forcibly manifested quirk. 

When he chased Variant into the room, Stephan was well aware that the chances of it escalating into a fight were high. However he couldn't just leave Variant in the room alone, there's no telling what the quirk would do if given free reign. Variant could have barricaded the door for one. There's also the chance that with the absence of an immediate threat that Izuku would be given control again. And then you'd have a panicking Izuku alone in his room. 

That said, Stephan was more that capable of fighting Variant without hurting him. Was it a risk? Yes. Did it pay off in the end? Definitely. Minus the fact that he was now going to have to explain himself to Eraserhead given the hero knows full well what happened before his arrival. 

 

Stephan follows behind Aizawa as the man carries a now sleeping Izuku into their shared room. Both are silent as the hero lays Izuku down in the bed and pulls the covers over him. 

"How long will the sedative you gave him last?" Aizawa asks, breaking the tense silence. 

"I can't say for sure how long he will sleep." Stephan tells him, "But the effects will probably last most of the day and well into the night. He's going to be pretty out of it for a while." He explains further. 

Aizawa nods the sits down on the other bed that was intended for the hero to sleep in. Not that he's gotten to use it at all with Izuku glued to his side 24/7. 

"Very well." He begins, "Then while he's asleep, we are going to talk about what happened before I got here." 

Stephan sits down beside him, "I think my explanation over the phone just about covered it. We were on our way back from meeting some heroes at the visitor's lounge, which went really well by the way, and had just arrived here. Izuku tripped while walking down the hall, most likely over his own feet because the kid was crashing hard and falling asleep. When he tripped, one of the nurses who was walking past grabbed him out of reflex to keep him from falling. I guess Variant didn't like being 'grabbed' by someone they don't know because next thing I know the quirk is activated and hostile." Stephan explains. 

He's fairly sure that isn't what Aizawa is referring to by 'before he got here'. 

"It's only logical that there would be a reaction on Variant's part to being grabbed by a stranger. Especially when Izuku is tired and not likely to be in a state to defend himself or resist Variant taking control. That is, if the kid is at all capable of resisting." Aizawa agrees, "However that's not exactly what I want to discuss right now." 

Stephan tries to keep his expressions neutral. And judging by the exasperated look and sigh from the hero, he succeeded in at least pretending to be clueless.

"It took me just under ten minutes to get here Stephan," Aizawa states, "And in that time you pursued Variant and fought with him to keep him occupied until I could arrive. All while managing to keep both of you from sustaining any major injuries. Care to explain how that's possible for a civilian nurse?" 

And there it is. 

"Well, growing up quirkless I had to learn to defend myself. My father taught me self defense at a young age." Stephan explains, "And while I attended UA's General Studies course, my two best friends were in the hero course, and are now pro heroes. They taught me a thing or two." 

Aizawa gives him an unimpressed look, "Self defense doesn't explain being able to backflip off a wall flawlessly Stephan." He deadpans.  

Stephan sighs, "No, I suppose it doesn't." He concedes,

 "So what do you think Eraser? Why did I do it?" 

---

Eraserhead is reminded of a college kid on a roof top, sitting next to him with his legs hanging over the edge. He's dressed in grey cargo pants and a blue and purple hoodie, a masquerade mask of the same colors fixed to his face. 

On his lap rests a collapsable compound bow, the metal a deep onyx that shines slightly from the city lights around them. He holds one of his many arrows in his hands, fiddling with the fletching and one again avoids eye contact.

This kid has been a frequent sight over the past few year, dropping in on 3am back alley fights and calling up Detective Tsukauchi to inform him of more tied up thugs. Bow was his name, and he was quite capable, but an enigma all the same.   

 "So what do you think Eraser? Why did I do it?" he wonders aloud. 

---

"Because there aren't enough people in this world that care about the weak. Sometimes that means the weak have to stand up and protect each other." Aizawa answers, repeating the same phrases his was given that night, years ago. 

Stephan grins widely, "Nice to know you remember our little conversation, Eraser." 

"It's not every day a vigilante has a motive like that, let alone is willing to share it with a pro hero." Aizawa replies. 

"Well, most of the time pro heroes don't stop to hear us out. So my earlier point still stands." Stephan counters. "But there's your answer as to why I had the skill to fight Variant. Happy now?" 

Aizawa sighs heavily, "I'm never happy." 

Stephan laughs as he stands up, "Trust me, I've noticed. Although I'd say seeing you with Izuku has gotten you pretty close." 

"Izuku is an exception." Aizawa mutters. 

"He's an exception in a lot of ways Eraser. You're not wrong about that." Stephan agrees. 

---

---

  [Broadcast covering the official media statement of the Aldera Incident]

"For tonight's main headline we have received the official statement regarding the attack on Aldera Junior High earlier this week. If you recall from the news report earlier this week, the attack had been staged by one of the school's own students and resulted in eleven dead, ten students one teacher. Along with this around two dozen injured with five critically wounded students, most of which are still in the hospital.

"Law enforcement released their official statement regarding the incident earlier today. It was once again confirmed that the attacker was a student who attended the school, however the incident was found to be a quirk manifestation gone wrong resulting in the aforementioned tragedy. As such, no legal action can be taken against the student who is responsible. The police did go as far as to assure us that the student, whose identity will not be released for confidentiality reasons, is in care and is receiving appropriate help so as to prevent this from happening again.

"The school district has been closed until further notice and/or until the conclusion of the investigation regarding the case. School officials have neglected to release their own statement or answer any questions regarding the incident."

---

[Transcript from live interview regarding the Aldera Incident]

 

Reporter: Tonight we feature an interview with a specialist on quirk law and quirk science to get a better perspective on the proceedings following the Aldera Incident and the case surrounding it. Let's take a look:  

 

Interviewer: Thank you for meeting with us Doctor. 

Doctor: The pleasure is all mine. I'm just happy I can help clear up any misunderstandings regarding this case. 

Interviewer: And we appreciate you taking the time to help us understand. 

Interviewer: Let us get started then. The Aldera Incident was accredited to a quirk having gone out of control, is that correct? 

Doctor: That is correct. What I have heard however is that it was a quirk manifestation to be specific. 

Interviewer: A quirk manifestation? Don't those usually happen at a much younger age? 

Doctor: Yes. Typically children develop their quirks around ages 4 to 6. Some quirks are known to manifest later on at around ages 7 to 8. 

Interviewer: This took place at a middle school, however. So does that mean this was an unprecedented late bloomer? 

Doctor: While that is possible, it is highly unlikely. Manifestations that happen at this age are often more accurately, mutations or drastic enhancements of a quirk's aspects. These events however, along with a manifestation of a quirk all together happening this late, are almost always related to trauma. Trauma being experienced by the one who is in possession of the quirk. 

Doctor: What that could mean or how that applies specifically in relation to this case I cannot say for certain, seeing as how I am not directly involved with the case. And further speculation on the matter would only serve to insight rumors. And thus would be unprofessional of me to report. 

         

---

[Excerpt from an opinionated article speculating on the Aldera Incident]

 

---If the incident involved a quirk manifestation in a junior high, then one is left to wonder what brought it about. Experts have often said that any manifestation or development of a quirk at this late of an age is often due to trauma. 

This makes you wonder, what sort of 'trauma' was this child subject to that it resulted in such a large scale tragedy? The school district has not commented on the incident at all, which makes the situation even more questionable. 

If a child was subject to trauma at school that resulted in a quirk manifestation, then it was likely due to bullying or abuse. Or both. Chances are the abuse happened at school given that's where the manifestation happened.

 If the child had thus far not manifested a quirk, they would be growing up quirkless up until this point. And the discrimination and injustice that the quirkless face is not to be taken lightly. 

This entire incident calls to our attention that our society still has a long way to go if we are to truly treat all quirked individuals, or lack there of, as equals. And what is law enforcement trying to hide by not explicitly stating that this was an abuse case, if they are trying to hide anything at all. 

Or perhaps this is simply being left up to us as society at large to make of as we will. 

   

---

---

Somewhere in a rundown bar, red eyes watched the news coverage with interest from behind a discolored, disembodied hand. Chapped lips twist into a sinister smile as a hand comes up to scratch roughly at the skin on the neck below. 

It would seem yet more proof of this disgusting society has surfaced. Yet another person pushed down and spit on by others, only to lash out and make their suffering known. 

 

Far off in a secluded room, a man watches without eyes. A malicious and equally as evil grin appearing on the pale, scarred face. 

What an interesting development, a child pushed to the point of breaking because of this quirkist society and cruel, judgmental masses. And the psychotic break has caused an outbreak of discussion and debate over the causes and reactions to the resulting incident. 

Truly this is something to watch.  

---

---

 

The week that followed was one of the longest weeks of Aizawa's life. 

When Izuku woke up a few hours later, he was nearly catatonic. His eyes were dull and dazed, his movements sluggish and his breathing slow. The only real sign of coherency was the way he clung to Aizawa's jumpsuit constantly, a silent plea not to be left alone again. 

And that's the state Izuku continued to be in for the day that followed. Whether it was from the sedative, the medication he was on or a draw back from his quirk fully activating had yet to be confirmed. For now the two just sat in silence.

---

"I'm sorry." 

It took all of Aizawa's pro hero training to not jump at the sudden spoken words. He looks down at Izuku who is staring up at him. 

"I'm sorry Zawa." He says again, words slurring slightly. 

"You have nothing to be sorry for Izuku."

"I couldn't stop him, I tried to tell him to stop." Izuku continues. 

"What happened wasn't your fault." Aizawa tries reasoning. 

Izuku sits up and leans against the wall, shaking his head, "But I couldn't get him to stop. He wouldn't stop, he hurt people, he killed people. There was so much red. I wanted the hurting to stop. Stop it, stop it, stop it," and Izuku just kept going. 

As he mumbled the repeated phrase he started hitting his head against the wall and with his hand. 

"Izuku! You're okay, you're safe." Aizawa exclaims. 

He grabs Izuku's wrists as gently as he can to stop the abuse and pulls Izuku away from the wall. 

Izuku thrashes in his hold, "No! Let me go! I need to stop him. Make him stop! Make him stop!" Izuku protests, fighting Aizawa as best he can while still weakened. 

 

Trying to calm Izuku down, but to no avail, Aizawa snatches up the nurse call button from beside the bed and presses it. 

When Stephan arrives, Izuku had worked himself into a frenzied panic, flailing and writhing in Aizawa's hold, his protests now incoherent. 

 

Stephan takes in the situation and acts quickly, producing an injector pen and injecting a sedative into Izuku's arm once again. 

The teen stiffens slightly, then sways. He falls back into Aizawa like a puppet whose strings have been cut. He trembles slightly and presses himself into the hero's chest. 

"I'm sorry...make him stop...I'm sorry...stop it..." Izuku slurs out repeatedly, tears falling down his cheeks. 

"It's okay Izuku, just rest for now. You're okay, you're safe. You've done nothing wrong." Aizawa answers each mumbled phrase as they come. The exchange goes on as the sedative takes full hold of Izuku. Aizawa continues to run a hand through Izuku's hair as the psychotic teen gradually falls asleep. 

---

This repeated a few times throughout the rest of the day and well into the night. Each time Izuku would wake up from his drug induced slumber would end just the same. 

The last dose of sedative they used was laced with quirk suppressants. They had no way of knowing what havoc Variant was wreaking on the psychotic teen's mind, but it was clear the quirk was stressing Izuku out. 

However they had no way of knowing Izuku would react to the suppressants in the way he did. 

---

"Where is he?" Izuku whispers into the early morning silence. 

Aizawa is awake, but he doesn't respond at first. Instead he listens, trying to gage what is happening with his charge this time.

"Wh-where is V-Variant? Variant where are y-you? Why-why can't I-I hear y-you?" Izuku all but demands. He sits up and starts looking around, as if he's going to find the voice somewhere in the room. 

Aizawa didn't like where this was going. They suppressed the quirk under the impression that Variant was distressing Izuku. And now the teen is looking for the voice. 

"D-did you l-leave me? W-why? You're sup-supposed to k-keep me s-safe!" Izuku exclaims, starting to work himself into yet another panic. Variant was his constant companion. Variant was his protector, his last defense. And now he is gone?  

"I'm here Izuku. I'll keep you safe while Variant is sleeping." Aizawa tries reassuring, hoping to ease the teen's fears.  

Izuku looks at Aizawa. Tears gather in his eyes as he launches himself into the hero's chest. 

"Y-you have to keep me safe Z-Zawa. I-I can't d-do it w-without Variant. Th-the hurt-ting will come b-back. I-I'm so scared. I don't w-want to h-hurt again." Izuku cries into his jumpsuit. He's terrified, that much is clear, terrified without Variant in his mind. 

The voice he loathes is also the voice that has kept him safe, that made the hurting stop. Izuku needs him. He can't be gone. 

Aizawa wraps his arms protectively around the kid. "I've got you Izuku. I'll keep you safe. I promise." 

Despite the constant flow of reassurances, Izuku doesn't calm down. He just lays there, trembling and sniffling, hiding himself under Aizawa's capture weapon and crying steadily into his shirt. 

Needless to say, Izuku ends up crying himself back to sleep. 

---

Aizawa woke up to the sound of something hitting the wall. His eyes fly open as he scans the dark room for any sign of a threat. However all that he can see is Izuku. 

Izuku, who has once again sat himself up, is rocking in place. His manic eyes are wide, red and bloodshot as tears stream down his face. Izuku has his nails dug into either arm and is steadily scratching deeper and deeper into the flesh of his arms; trails of crimson starting to be left from elbow to wrist as he rocks. His rocking occasionally results in him hitting his head and elbows off the wall behind him.

Back and forth, back and forth he goes, staring into the void. As he rocks and scratches, he mumbles; words just loud enough to be heard by Aizawa barely a few feet away. 

"C-come b-back. Y-you ha-have to c-come back-k. V-Variant. I-I n-need you. I-I'm not s-safe. S-s-see? I'm h-urt-ting so y-you have t-to come b-back." 

Aizawa slowly sits up, "Izuku?" he questions softy, treading lightly in this new manifestation of the boy's madness. 

Izuku goes still, staring at the hero with wide, manic green eyes. "Z-Zawa?" he questions, scratching never ceasing.

"Izuku, you're hurting yourself." Aizawa says, reaching for the kid's hands, "You need to be gentle with yourself." 

Izuku pulls himself away from the hero's reach. "No! I need th-this! If I-I hurting th-then V-Variant wi-will come b-back. H-he has t-to!" Izuku exclaims, his ministrations increasing in speed. 

In a twisted way, his logic does make sense. As tragic as it is to admit. 

"Variant will come back, he's just tired after keeping you safe earlier." Aizawa reasons, mentally grasping at straws, "He wouldn't want you to hurt yourself while he's gone." 

Izuku analyzes the hero, clawing coming to a halt, "H-He w-will come b-back?" 

Aizawa nods, "He will, I promise. You just have to wait." He tells Izuku, taking hold of the kid's wrists. 

Izuku winces as his hands are pulled away from the bloody messes that are his arms. "H-hurts. It-t hurts-s Z-Zawa." He tells the hero. And somehow Aizawa knows he doesn't just mean the self inflicted wounds. 

"I know Izuku. I know." He replies. "But it will get better. Let's clean you up first." 

 

With slow and telegraphed movements, Aizawa manages to pull to basic first aid kit out of the bedside table. It's there for exactly this reason, for when calling a nurse would only serve to make the situation more distressing for Izuku. 

The hero takes his time bandaging Izuku's arms, assuring the psychotic teen each time he asks about Variant. Eventually they are settled back against the headboard, rocking slightly until Izuku slips under once again. 

           

---

It takes 48 hours for the quirk suppressants to wear off. And those first 24 hours consisted of one of two things. Izuku's terrified sobs and desperate attempts to hide from the world with Aizawa as his barrier, or Izuku abusing himself in an attempt to make Variant come back, thinking endangering himself would force the voice to return and make him stop.

After the second occurrence of each, a longer acting sedative was administered to keep Izuku calm and prevent him from hurting himself any further. With that, Izuku had thus returned to his earlier state at the start of the week, subdued and glassy eyed, sleepy and silent. 

During the times Izuku was finally settled, idly fidgeting with his feather and capture scarf, Aizawa decided it was best he discuss the recent developments with Hound Dog at length. 

The hound hero explained that the cycling of moods and states of mind was to be expected, given Izuku was still currently in a state of psychosis. Psychosis was not something that was solved over night, but rather takes time to come back from. They would continue to try to find the medications that worked best for Izuku, but until then the boy would be unstable. 

It did appear that Variant was adding a whole new realm of complications to Izuku's mental state. Suppressing the quirk has proven to be the wrong choice, seeing as how Izuku has come to rely on the voice's constant presence. However Izuku himself seems torn with whether or not he supports Variant's actions or even wants the voice to be heard.

They discussed further plans of actions along with the best ways to handle Izuku's various metal states and outbursts. Stephan was included in these discussions as well.

When Izuku was awake, if you could call it that, Aizawa would fill the silence with him talking. He'd tell more stories of his hero work and his personal life. He would read to Izuku from some of the books Stephan had brought them. And Izuku would watch him and listen, enraptured by the only person he trusted's every word. 

Izuku himself would be content, in his dazed and drugged state, to simply occupy his hands with something to do as he listened. The longer lasting sedatives in his system subduing the kid to a slower, calmer, trance like state.

 Sometimes Izuku would run a finger or two back and forth along the ridges of the feather Hawks gave him. Other times he would fiddle with the capture scarf still around his neck, looping and unlooping the scarf from around his fingers, hand or wrist. There were a few occasions he would even play with the ends of Aizawa's hair. All of these were simply actions the kept his controlled but still anxious energy occupied. 

 

Overall this was proving to be a very, very long week. 

Notes:

Greeting my dudes, Arrow here.

I'm back with another chapter once again. I'm getting better at releasing these in a timely manner. Or maybe it's just that I'm more inspired than usual? I dunno.
I doubt you guys are complaining either way.

So what did we think? This chapter kinda bounced around a lot, I hope it still made sense though. A lot of new concepts were touched on as well.
And was the segment after the media there to torture you all? Yes, yes it was. I hope I succeeded.

Along with that I knew I wanted to get Hitoshi involved, it just took me a while to figure out how. But I think I have a pretty good idea now of whats going to happen with him.
I'm thinking we are just about ready for a time skip too, I'm not really sure. I guess you'll just have to wait and see.

Well, I'm off to work on homework and watch lectures (ugh)
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think :D

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 8: That Consuming Spiral I Know

Summary:

Falling down I did go,
With tears in your eyes
That consuming spiral I know,
And strangled are your cries
~~

Aizawa talks to a certain friend.
Izuku wake up and asks a dangerous question.
Izuku makes a friend.
Naomasa gets to save his own traumatized teenager.

Notes:

Hell yeah, back within a week this time.
I just had more inspiration than usual this week I guess? I dunno, but this chapter got done in now time at all despite being just under 10k.

I'm seriously not trying to make this fic this long, but here we are. I doubt you guys mind all that much.
After all, I'm notorious for my ridiculously large word counts. Just warning you all.

And again, thanks for all the comments and kudos! You guys are great.
Don't worry, I do see and read every single comment, a lot of which have given me some ideas for this fic as well.
I just don't respond to them all, but it makes me smile every time i get the email notification. So thanks! Keep them coming ;)

I hope you enjoy this chapter, I really enjoyed writing it.
Have fun!

Naomasa sits at his desk, idly nursing what is probably his third cup of coffee that morning. Or maybe it's the fourth? He's not actually sure. 

He's been sorting through the required documents and paperwork to initiate the Aldera School District investigation all morning. This case has long since turned into a major headache. 

There's a knock at his office door. 

"Come it." He calls out. 

The door opens slowly and in walks Officer Tamakawa Sansa. Why is he here this early again?

"Good morning." The officer greets, closing the door behind him. 

"Morning." Naomasa replies, taking another sip of his coffee. 

Sansa makes a face, "The others are complaining you drank the entire first pot of coffee in the break room." He informs, smirking slightly. 

Oh. Well, this is cup number five then. Damn. 

"It's been a long past few days." Naomasa justifies. 

"I've heard rumors of this disaster case of yours." Sansa replies, "And I take it that's exactly why you called me here this morning?"  

Right. Naomasa had emailed the cat officer and asked him to stop by his office. 

"This case and it's adjacent case are nothing short of a nightmare. And the others assigned to the case don't seem to get the kid responsible is as much of a victim as those he killed and injured." Naomasa tells him. 

Sansa grimaces, whiskers scrunching together with the movement, "So it's a nightmare case then, that doesn't sound too fun. And you want me to join you?" he asks, sitting down. 

Naomasa nods, "This is going to be one hell of a mess. Let me catch you up to speed first." 

---

                                                                        

Sansa is silent for a good three minutes following Naomasa's explanation. 

"You're right, this is a nightmare case. Not only is it turning into a media disaster, it's also a huge ethical dilema. You've got four rather eccentric pro heroes all personally invested in a different aspect of this case, one of which is your husband. I'd have to say that might be one of the only positives, you get a kid out of this whole mess." Sansa rambles. 

Naomasa just looks at him, "You consider 'spontaneous parenthood' a positive?" he asks. 

"Considering the alternative was the kid being tried for manslaughter, yes, yes I do." Sansa replies. 

"Fair enough." Naomasa concedes, "So, do you think you can handle it?"

"So long a we don't discover that Trigger is involved somehow, I think we can deal with this between the two of us." Sansa answers. 

"If that happens, I'm quitting my job." Naomasa declares dramatically. 

"You said that for all five past cases that Trigger was secretly involved in. So I'm not to worried about losing you." Sansa reminds him. 

"We're never going to escape that drug are we?" Naomasa groans. 

Sansa shakes his head, "Nope. So are we taking bets this time on just how it's part of the case." 

"No. I want to actually sleep at night Sansa." Naomasa says simply. 

"Your husband hasn't been home for a week, and likely isn't going to be for a while yet. Not to mention you went through a whole pot of coffee without realizing it this morning. Are you expecting me to believe you're sleeping at all?" Sansa all but demands. 

Naomasa's shoulders slump in defeat, "Just because you're right doesn't mean you have to throw it in my face." 

"I do believe that's one of my jobs as your partner, sir." Sansa reminds him.  

---

---

Shouta was sitting in silence with Izuku pressed against his side when his utility belt starts vibrating on the bedside table. 

What the hell? 

Shouta is still processing what's going on when the vibrating stops. Then it starts again. What is in the pouches that could be causing this? 

Oh. Izuku's phone. 

 

Moving as quickly as he can while not jostling Izuku too much, Shouta pulls open the pouch and grabs the still buzzing phone from inside. 

 

Caller ID: 

Toshi  

 

This kid again? Is he one of Izuku's friends? Izuku hasn't mentioned him...

Fuck it, might as well find out. 

 

Shouta pushes talk and raises the phone to his ear. 

"Izu! Thank kami you finally answered!" a voice exclaims from the other end of the phone. The kid doesn't sound like he's much older than Izuku.

"Sorry kid, but I'm not Izuku." Aizawa replies. 

There's a long pause, then, "Who the fuck are you and why the hell do you have my friend's phone?" the voice demands. 

So he's a friend then?

Sigh. Shouta really should have expected this kind of reaction then. "My name is Aizawa Shouta. I am currently Izuku's acting guardian. May I ask who you are?" 

"Acting guardian...?" the kid mumbles, "Whatever, my name is Shinso Hitoshi, and I'm friends with Izuku." 

"I wasn't aware Izuku had many friends." Shouta replies, blunt as ever. 

"Wow, you don't mess around. And I hate to admit but you're not wrong." Shinso says, "I used to go to school with him. Before I was moved to a new home." 

Ah. So the kid is in the system. Great. 

"So you aren't currently attending Aldera then?" Shouta asks. 

"No, I'm not. But I was there for a whole school year. So I know full well the kind of shit that goes down. That place is messed up." Shinso tells him, "And I saw the 'attack' or whatever on the news. I've been trying to get ahold of Izuku to make sure he's okay." 

The way Shinso talks about the school makes it sound like he's very familiar with what was happening. Was he a victim as well?

"Izuku is safe. He's actually asleep next to me. He is currently in the hospital, I just got ahold of his phone a few days ago, hence why you haven't heard from him." Shouta explains. 

"The hospital!? Is he hurt? What happened?" Shinso all but demands, sounding panicked. 

Shouta supposes that would be a cause for alarm. Unfortunately he can't just go telling the kid exactly why Izuku's here. Not without consulting Izuku first at least. 

"I'm not a liberty to tell you what exactly happened, not without Izuku's permission first. But again, he's okay. Shaken up if anything. But he's okay." Shouta replies. "I can tell him you called if you would like?" he then offers. 

"That would be great." Shinso accepts. "Wait. You said 'acting guardian'. Does that mean he's not with Inko anymore?" 

"That is correct. Again, I can't give details." Shouta confirms. 

"That's fine. I'm just glad he's out of her care." Shinso responds. 

"And why is that?" Shouta asks, curious. 

"Well it's not as if I really know what a 'model parent' does, given I'm in the system, but I'm fairly sure Inko was bordering on neglectful. She was hardly ever around. And I honestly still don't understand how she never noticed Izuku coming home beat up every day. Unless she either wasn't around or simply didn't bother to ask." Shinso explains, "But she wasn't hurting him per se, so I didn't want to really press the issue." 

Why does this sound like Shinso is experienced with abusive and neglectful parents. 

"Kid, you sound a bit too familiar with the topic." Shouta points out. 

"Well yeah, that's what happens when you have a villain's quirk." Shinso mutters, and Shouta isn't sure he was really meant to hear that, "I'm fine. This place is better than most. Just worry about taking care of Izuku. You had better take care of him. Or I'll make you regret it." Shinso threatens. At least the kid cares. 

However, Shouta isn't about to let the 'don't worry about me' thing go. He'll send the kid's name to Nao for him so look into. Just to be safe. 

"I plan to. I'll let him know you called. Just know that it will probably be a few days before Izuku gets a chance to call you back. He's pretty...out of it right now." Shouta tells him. 

"That would be great. Thank you Aizawa-san." There's a bang and yelling in the background. "Shit. I gotta go. Thanks again for taking care of Izu." And then the line goes dead. 

 

Shouta pulls the phone away from his ear and just stares at it for a long moment. 

What the hell? 

---

Later that day, Shouta and Stephan are both sitting with a still sleeping Izuku. Shouta is going through emails on his phone while Stephan was running the formula through the feeding tube they had to run though Izuku's nose. 

After the first day of Izuku's now 4 day frenzy, it became apparent that Izuku wasn't going to be eating on his own. He was either to out of it or refused any food they tried to get him to eat. Hence, the feeding tube. So far Izuku hasn't noticed it any of the times he's been awake.

 

The sound of a phone buzzing breaks the silence of the room. 

Except it wasn't just Shouta's phone. His phone, Izuku's phone on the bedside table, and Stephan's phone which is his back pocket all vibrated at the same time. 

Curious, Shouta checks his phone. 

 

-----

#Questionable Quirks

 

MustLearnControl:  @everyone i have been able to confirm that @Green-eyed_Genius is safe

MustLearnControl: i know weve all been worried about them

Dual-Wielding: That is great news. How exactly did you manage that though?

---

 

So it's a message from the Chaos Chat server Shouta is a moderator of. Interesting. MustLearnControl is right, they've all been worried about Green-eyed_Genius for a while now. Its been about two weeks since they all last heard from them, and that's a lot given they are usually active every day. 

Shouta types out his response.

 

---

#Questionable Quirks

 

TiredAndTangled: That's good to hear. The mods were about to send the search party.

MustLearnControl: i still dont get how you guys manage to find people

MustLearnControl: its kinda unnerving

Dual-Wielding: I have my theories. Nothing proven however.

MustLearnControl: please dont start. i cant handle you today Dual

---

 

When Shouta sends his message, Izuku's phone and Stephan's phone vibrate. 

Shouta gives Stephan a look. Stephan shrugs, feinting ignorance. 

Then he types up something on his phone. 

Shouta's phone and Izuku's phones go off. 

 

--

#Questionable Quirks

 

Quirkless_Chaotic: that's on a need to know basis 

Quirkless_Chaotic: and you don't need to know <.<

MustLearnControl: fight me Chaotic

Quirkless_Chaotic: you won't like how that ends, I'll kick your ass Control

GateOfTruth: for the record, we don't sanction fights on this server

HoldingtheMatches: where's the fun in that though. I kinda want to seem them fight it out. They threaten eachother on here enough as it is.

GateOfTruth: plausible deniability 

 

---

Stephan laughs and Shouta snorts. 

Then the two make eye contact. 

 

"We meet at last Tired." Stephan says with a near feral grin. 

"Can't say it's a pleasure Chaotic." Shouta replies back. 

"You should check Izuku's phone. I want to see who he is. It's obvious he's in the server." Stephan points out. 

Shouta sighs, "Fine, but you get to explain to the kid why we even know if he finds out." 

"I can handle that." Stephan agrees. 

 

Shouta reaches over and grabs Izuku's phone. He unlocks it and opens the Chaos Chat application. He finds the Questionable Quirks server and selects it. Then he sees the user name. 

"Well that explains a few things." Shouta states. 

"Oh? Who is he?" Stephan asks. 

"Izuku is Genius. It makes so much sense. No wonder his rambles seemed somewhat familiar. Shouta muses. 

"You're not wrong." Stephan relies, "Then that makes Control the Shinso kid that called Izuku earlier, given no one else has had contact." 

Shouta nods, "I suppose it does." 

 

"We going to tell Izuku about all this?" Stephan then asks. 

"Eventually. He can't have his phone back for a while yet, so I don't see it being a priority." Shouta responds. 

"I can only image his reaction when he does find out." Stephan comments, chucking. 

"It's certainly going to be interesting." Shouta agrees. 

---

---

When Izuku woke up, he is confused. It takes him a moment to realize he's still in his room in the hospital. A quick glance up shows that Aizawa is asleep next to him yet again. 

Taking stock of his body, he realizes he's back in the scrub like outfit the hospital gave him when he got here. His arms and legs are also wrapped in bandages. As he bends his arms he can feel the scabs underneath being pulled at and rubbed against. It feels weird, not quite painful. It's an oddly grounding sensation. 

His movements call attention to something taped to his face. Izuku feels across his cheek and over to his nose. Taped there is small length of string? Perhaps a tube? He's not sure but it runs across his cheek and up his nose. Izuku wiggles his nose and scrunches his face some. Whatever it is, it goes up his nose and he can feel it down his throat. It's weird. And probably best not to mess with it. 

Izuku is realizing that his head is a lot less fuzzy than it had been for the past week. At least he thinks it was week? Time kinda lost all meaning after falling in and out of consciousness with his head all fuzzy and floaty. It was a good fuzzy and floaty though, if not an exhausting one. He can't help but appreciate how nonexistent his fears and worries seem when he's floating like that.  

 

~There's always something to worry about, Izuku.~ 

Izuku flinches at the sound of Variant in his head. How long has it been since he heard him? 

~I don't know how long it's been. All I know is I was silenced after you started trying to force me to shut up.~ 

The voice sounds irritated. 

*Are you angry with me?* Izuku questions.  

~Yes. You've been beating us up for days, with or without me here.~ Variant replies. 

Izuku...isn't sure how to respond to that. He honestly doesn't remember much. But considering his arms and legs are wrapped in bandages, it must have been bad.    

He does remember Variant leaving him. 

~It's not like I wanted to.~ Variant defends.

*Then why did you?* Izuku demands. 

~I don't know. They did something that silenced me. Like I said.~ Variant replies. 

*Should I ask them?* 

~You should. So I can figure out how to stop them.~ 

Izuku isn't sure if that's how that works, but he'll ask anyway. His is curious after all. 

 

Izuku's thoughts are interrupted by his stomach growling. Suddenly he's very aware of how hungry he is. Should he wake up Zawa? He doesn't want to bother the man. But Zawa has insisted that if Izuku is awake, he needs to wake the hero up too. 

That's that decision made. 

 

Izuku shifts around so he can shake Aizawa's shoulder. 

"Zawa." He whisper yells. "Zawa? Zawa, wake up!" Izuku isn't sure why or when he started calling the man that, but Aizawa doesn't seem to mind it all that much. If anything he seems to like it, if the subtle change in his expression Izuku has noticed is any indication. 

 

Aizawa groans in response to being jostled. And just when Izuku thinks he's not going to wake up, suddenly Aizawa is sitting  up and wide awake. 

"Izuku? What's the matter?" he asks, sounding more than a little worried. 

Izuku doesn't understand why. Why does Zawa insist on worrying about Izuku all the time? No one else has ever really bothered to be, so it doesn't really make sense why that's suddenly changed. 

"Sorry..." Izuku mumbles, "I wanted to let you sleep, but you said I should wake you up when I wake up." Izuku explains, avoiding eye contact. 

Aizawa's face softens, as slight as the change of expression is, "It's fine Izuku, I don't mind." He assures, ruffling Izuku's hair. Izuku can't help but lean into the touch, "Now was there something you needed? Are you feeling okay?"

Izuku doesn't answer right away. "Um...I'm hungry." He says softly. 

The hero huffs a laugh, "Well I think that can be fixed. You okay if I have Stephan come in?" he asks. 

Izuku perks up slightly at the mention of the nurse. "Okay. You can call him." 

---

Shouta shifts Izuku to the side so he can sit up and press the blue call button. There's two buttons, red for emergencies, blue for just a general summons. The red call button has gotten a lot of use over the past few days.

The two are silent as they wait, both content to keep to their own thoughts. Shouta isn't quite sure what to think about Izuku suddenly being lucid again. Especially not after the week they've had. It's just been one extreme after another with Izuku, the kid's emotions completely unregulated and out of control. Izuku spent most of the time either sleeping or sedated as a result. But even when he was calm, they couldn't get him to eat much. After a day of no luck, the tough decision to put a temporary feeding tube in was made. They really didn't have much choice. 

 

Speaking of, Shouta notices Izuku's taken to fiddling with the tube where it's taped to his face. Shouta gently take hold of Izuku's hand and pulls it away from it. 

"Try to leave the tube alone, okay Izuku?" he instructs. 

Izuku looks confused, "What even is it Zawa?" he asks. 

How to explain this? "It's a temporary feeding tube." He informs, and watches as Izuku's eyes blow wide, "You've been pretty out of it for the past week. We couldn't get you to eat so this was the solution." 

"Is...is it going to stay?" Izuku asks hesitantly. 

"I don't know. It will depend on a few things. How stable you are for one." Shouta tells him honestly, "So long as you don't mess with it too much, you should get used to it." 

Izuku doesn't seem to believe him, but doesn't utter any further protest. 

 

There's a knock at the door. 

"It's Stephan. Can I come in?" A voice asks from the other side of the door. 

Izuku nods to Shouta eagerly. It's good to see the kid has taken a liking to someone besides Shouta.

"Come in Stephan." Shouta tells the nurse. 

The door then opens slowly and quietly, Stephan passing through it and closing the door behind him. 

He blinks in surprise upon seeing Izuku sitting up on the bed beside Shouta. To his credit he regains his composure rather quickly. 

"Hey Izuku! How are you buddy?" he asks, ever cheerful. 

"I'm okay. How are you?" Izuku asks softly, smiling at the nurse. 

"I'm doing great! Tired, but still great." Stephan replies, making his was over to them.

 

With slow, telegraphed movements, he sits down on the bed beside them. "So you called? What can I do for you two this fine morning?" he asks. 

Izuku looks to Shouta. Shouta sighs fondly, the kid is still working on getting comfortable with asking things. 

"Izuku is hungry. And I could do with something myself." He tells Stephan. 

Stephan's smile widens. "Is that all? That's an easy fix! I'll be right back with something, I'll also grab what I need to check your vitals and your meds for you to take, okay Izuku?" he asks. 

Izuku nods. 

"Excellent. I shall return." Stephan declares rather over dramatically as he stands and leaves the room. 

His antics gain a giggle out of Izuku, so Shouta will count that as a win. 

---

When Stephan comes back he has a food tray with a Belgian waffle on it. The waffle has whipped cream and there's some bacon, butter and syrup on the side. There's also a glass of orange juice. 

"No pancakes this time." Stephan says as he sets the tray down on the rolling table/cart thing in front of Izuku. "But waffles are good too right? At least I like to think so." 

Izuku nods. He definitely agrees with Stephan on that one. 

 

"If you're okay with it Izuku, I'm going to check your vitals while you eat, alright?" Stephan asks. 

Izuku nods again, "Alright." 

He manages to cut the waffle with a spoon, since they won't give them knives, and picks some up with his fork. As he's opening his mouth, the motion pulls at the tape on his face, thus reminding him of the tube's presence, which causes him to hesitate. 

"Can I...can I eat it with the tube thingy in?" he asks. 

Stephan looks up from where he was reading his watch to take Izuku's pulse, "Of course. It shouldn't cause you any issue. I just want to leave to tube in for a bit longer to make sure we won't need it again." Stephan explains, "trust me, you don't want to have to deal with me putting another one in later." 

That answer seems good enough for Izuku, who just returns his attention back to his food. 

Meanwhile, Aizawa is drinking coffee from the travel mug Stephan brought him. Occasionally Izuku can hear muttered complaints about the coffee 'tasting like shit', which makes him wonder why the hero keeps drinking it. Then again, Zawa seems like he's constantly tired, so he supposes it makes sense. 

 

After he's done eating, Stephan hands Izuku a small paper cup with a bunch of pills inside it. 

Izuku just stares at the different colored tablets and capsules. From what he can recall from last week, the meds made him dizzy really tired. He doesn't like it. 

~Neither do I.~ Variant agrees. 

"You gotta take them Izuku. That much I'm not budging on." Stephan tells him in a more serious tone than usual. 

~Don't take them. I don't trust them." 

"They make me tired and dizzy. I don't like being tired all the time." Izuku tells him, setting the cup down and glaring at them, "Variant doesn't like them either." He adds.

Stephan nods in understanding, "I know, but it's only until your body gets used to them. Then it won't be so bad. But you have to take them to keep getting better. You want to get better right?" he asks. 

Izuku stares at the offending pills a while longer. 

~If we have to.~ Variant concedes. 

"Fine." Izuku mumbles in defeat. He grabs the juice cup from the tray and uses the juice to swallow the pills with, then takes a few more sips. 

"Good job, thank you Izuku. Now you know the drill. I gotta check your mouth." Stephan reminds him. 

Izuku frowns, but opens his mouth without protest. Stephan proceeds to check that he swallowed the pills, prompting him to lift his tongue as well. It's weird, but it also makes sense. He could have just hidden them under his tongue or something. 

 

~Ask the question.~ Variant reminds him suddenly. 

Izuku hesitates. *Do I really need to ask?*

~Yes. You do. Now ask.~ Variant commands. 

Izuku sighs heavily, gaining the attention of the two adults in the room. 

 

"Variant says I should ask you how you silenced him earlier in the week." Izuku tells them. 

Stephan and Aizawa both exchange uneasy looks. Said looks make Izuku anxious about what kind of answer he's about to get. Should he not have asked? Are they mad at him? 

 

Stephan nods silently, then so does Aizawa. They seem to agree on something. Izuku feels out of the loop now. The long silence is starting to make him panic. 

Finally, Aizawa speaks, "We used quirk suppressants, Izuku. Because that's what Variant is; he's a quirk." 

Variant is a quirk? But...but only Izuku can talk to Variant. And Variant only takes control of Izuku and only keeps Izuku safe. 

That would mean Variant is Izuku's quirk. Right?

Izuku feels dizzy as his head starts to pound. That can't be right? Can it? He can't possibly have a quirk. That's how he got into this mess to begin with!

"But...but I'm quirkless?" he argues weakly. 

Aizawa looks like he wants to sigh. He also looks...sad? "Until Variant showed up, yes, you were." 

Izuku's heart is pounding in his chest and his ears are starting to ring. He feels lightheaded and his vision is warped. What are they saying? That he has a quirk? He can't, he can't have a quirk. He's quirkless. How is it even remotely possible?

"H-How?" he manages to ask, tongue heavy in his mouth. 

"I won't lie to you Izuku. We think Variant is a forcibly manifested quirk. I'm sure you know what that means given how much you know about quirks." Aizawa answers him.

 

And Izuku does, and it's terrifying, heart stopping and life changing. Forcibly manifested quirks are spontaneously developed quirks or quirk mutations in a person. They are almost always brought on by extreme stress, physical or mental trauma, or life of death situations. The fact that Izuku developed one means...

Izuku thinks he's going to be sick. 

 

Luckily, Stephan seems to catch on and bolts to grab a trash can. No sooner than it's been placed in front of Izuku does he proceed to violently throw up. 

Izuku feels a gentle hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. He whines at the affection before he throws up again. 

 

Panting he straightens up and sways in place. The room spins around him and he leans heavily into Aizawa. He absently starts clawing at his arms while drowning in his thoughts, the bandages stopping him from reaching any skin sadly. Hands gently take hold of his and stop him. He doesn't bother fighting them 

Variant is mercifully silent.

 

Izuku has a quirk. After all these years of abuse, suffering and hurting, he has a quirk. A quirk that may have been brought about by the pain. A quirk that keeps him safe after needing him to be in danger for over ten years. 

The more he thinks about it, the more his head starts to ache and spin. He didn't want this. Or did he? Maybe he did, once upon a time, but not anymore. 

He knows he's useless, he's accepted it. He knows he can't be a hero, he's passed it. It's just how things have always been. He was quirkless, useless, worthless, Deku. That's always been his reality.

But now?

As everything fades to black, he realizes he doesn't know anything anymore. 

                                     

---

Reacting fast, Shouta catches Izuku as the kid passes out against him. Gently, he then maneuvers the kid so he is laying down beside him on the bed. 

Shouta isn't sure how he expected Izuku to react, but him passing out is probably one of the more peaceful ways this conversation could have ended. 

 

"Now look what you did." Stephan says, breaking the silence. "You broke him." 

Shouta levels him with an unimpressed glare. Stephan meets it unflinchingly. "In all seriousness though, are you sure it's a good idea to just spring that on him like that?" Stephan asks. 

"There wasn't going to be an easy way to tell Izuku about his quirk. No matter how we went about it, it would still be changing reality as he knows it." Shouta answers. "Besides, he asked a very pointed question. And the only way I saw avoiding telling him about his quirk was to lie to him. And Izuku has been deceived all his life. I refuse to lie to him." 

Stephan sighs, "Still though, it hit him really hard. I know I would be devastated in a situation like this."

"Well the sooner he knows, the sooner we can work on coming to terms with it and working past it. Putting off telling him would only have repercussions in the future." Shouta replies. 

"I suppose you're right. We'll just have to wait and see what kind of shape he's in when he wakes up." Stephan relents. "Which, by the way, Hound Dog wants to visit him again once he's more lucid. He was going to come earlier in the week but saw little point given the state Izuku has been in." He informs. 

"Thanks for the heads up. We should probably let him know that Izuku has been made aware of his new quirk status." Shouta points out. 

"I'll let you handle telling him that. That way you're the one who gets to deal with the fall out." Stephan tells him, smirking. He stands up and gathers the tray of food, and the garbage can.  

Shouta sighs, running a hand through Izuku's curls. "Whatever." 

                        

---

                                                                  

Izuku ended up sleeping through lunch, which didn't surprise Shouta any. And when the kid woke up he seemed pretty out of it for a good hour after the fact. Eventually though, his energy returned and he asked to go for a walk. 

Seeing as how they've both been in their room for the better part of the week, Shouta agreed. 

 

The hero ended up leading Izuku down the hall, the teen clutching at his hand tightly, looking every which way, scanning for possible threats. Somewhere along the way, Stephan joins them. The nurse always seems to appear when he might be needed. 

It wasn't until they reached the group room that Izuku releases his hold on Shouta's hand. 

The group room was a small room lined with couches and with a medium sized television mounted to the wall in the one corner. There's a round table off in one corner and windows across the opposite wall from the door. The room itself is through a doorway adjacent to the eating and common area. 

 

Sitting on one of the couches, looking out the window at the city, was a woman with white hair. Shouta knows he recognizes her, and he hates what her presence here implies. This explains why she wasn't taking or helping with any more cases, why he and Nao haven't heard from her at all. 

The woman seems tired, the type of bone deep weariness that comes from having seen too much and you're only options being move on or drown in those experiences. It's a feeling Shouta can relate too, despite he himself not being admitted into a psyche ward. 

The woman does, however, seem delighted at Izuku's arrival. 

 

"Hello." She greets warmly. 

Izuku hides slightly behind Shouta. He eyes her warily before answering with his own "H-hello." 

"My name is Rei. Can you tell me your name?" she asks him. 

Izuku looks up at Shouta, who nods in encouragement. 

"I-Izuku. And this is Zawa." He says, pointing at the hero. 

"It's been quite a while Rei-san." Shouta greets. 

"That it has Shouta-kun. Keeping out of trouble I hope?" 

Shouta shrugs, "There's no fun in that."   

"Of course not. You have to make your own fun at work." Rei agrees before turning her attention to Izuku, "Well it's nice to meet you Izuku. Would you like to join me? We can play a game if you'd like. We play a lot of Skip-bo here." 

"Can we play Zawa?" He asks, excitement in his eyes.

"Sure thing kiddo. Let's go sit at the round table then." Shouta tells him. 

"I'll go get the cards out of the cabinet!" Stephan declares, heading out of the room to do just that.

 

Anxiety forgotten, Izuku bounds over to the round table in the corner of the room. He sits down at the table and stares at Shouta expectantly as the hero sits down beside him. Rei sits down across from Izuku and Stephan sits on his other side, depositing the box of cards in the center of the table. 

Rei makes quick work of shuffling and dealing the cards out, it's obvious she's done this many, many times. She gives seven to each of them for their hand and each person also gets a pile of 13 cards, the top one facing up. Once that's done, Rei explains the rules. 

 

"The object of the game is to use up all the cards in the pile next to you, that pile is called your magic pile. To do that, we start piles ascending in numerical order from 1 to 12. There can be up to four piles at once and you can play as many cards as you would like when it's your turn. Once a pile reaches 12 we remove it from play. Skip-bo Cards are wild cards, they can represent any number. And at the end of your turn, you place a card down in front of you, and can have up to four piles there. You can use cards from these piles as well, but you can only use the card at the top of each of the piles. Any questions?" she asks. 

This prompts a round of head shakes. 

"Excellent. Then lets get started!" Rei declares. 

And thus the game begins. 

 

"Hey Zawa?" Izuku prompts, breaking the relaxed silence. 

"Yes Izuku?" the hero replies, placing a 5 down in front of him. 

"How do you know Rei-san?" Izuku asks. 

"Oh, we used to work together is all. Shouta-kun and his partner worked out of the same police precinct I did." Rei answers, laying down cards 5,6,7 and 8. 

"Rei is a programmer and hacker. She worked in the precinct's cyber forensics department." Shouta explains. "Your skills have been missed Rei-san, specially by Naomasa." He comments. 

"I'm sure. Most of the others were rather incompetent." Rei replies, "How is that boyfriend of yours anyway?" 

Shouta smirks, "Husband actually, and he's good. Still working himself to the bone like always." 

"Like you have any room to talk." Rei counters, "But it's good to know you two finally figured things out. I can't believe I missed the wedding!" she exclaims. 

"Zawa!" Izuku whines, "You didn't tell me you're married!" he protests, frowning (read: pouting). Stephan chuckles at this. 

Shouta shrugs, "I guess it just never came up." He tries justifying. 

"Well I want to meet him." Izuku declares, and his tone leaves no room for argument. 

"I'm sure we can figure something out Izuku." Shouta assures him, slightly caught off guard by Izuku's insistence on meeting Naomasa. 

 

"So Izuku, what do you like to do in your free time?" Rei asks, changing the subject.

"I like to work on my analysis notebooks. I analyze quirks. There's so fascinating!" Izuku tells her. 

"That does sound interesting. Do you want to know what my quirk is?" she offers. 

Izuku nods eagerly. 

"Watch closely then." Rei instructs, setting her cards down. 

She presses her fingers together on her left hand and gradually her fingers start to coat with ice. As the ice at her finger tips grows and expands it forms a small ornate star. She then offers it to Izuku.

Izuku's eyes widen in excitement as he takes the star in hand. "That's so cool! So you can create and control ice then?" Izuku asks. 

Rei nods. "I can. Although nowadays I mostly make small ice figurines and sculptures like the one you're holding." 

As Izuku spins the star in his hand, analyzing it, Shouta can see the questions forming in his head. 

"Now you've done it Rei-san. He's going to interrogate you now." He teases. 

Stephan laughs at the comment. 

And sure enough, Izuku launches into questioning mode, card game having been forgotten. 

---

Having finished their game with Rei, the three return to Izuku and Aizawa's room.

Aizawa was starting to think he would have to carry Izuku back, given the way the kid was listing against him as they walked. With the excitement of the card game and meeting new people having worn off, Izuku was left tired out, despite having technically slept a few hours earlier that day. 

Once they reached the room, Stephan said his goodbyes and headed out. The nurses had asked for his help with something, and being the ever helpful guy he is, he couldn't just say no. 

 

Izuku and Aizawa get settled on the bed. However, when Aizawa takes his tool belt off and sets it on the bedside table, Izuku's phone slides out of the one pocket. And of course, Izuku notices. 

"Is that my phone Zawa?" Izuku asks while sitting down on the bed. 

Aizawa nods, "It is. The police gave it to me after deciding that it wasn't of any use to them." He explains, climbing onto the bed next to him, "Speaking of which, do you know someone named Shinso Hitoshi? He's been trying to get ahold of you for a while and I ended up talking to him." 

Izuku's entire being lights up at the mention of his friend, "Of course I know Toshi! He's my best friend. Although I haven't seen him in a long time. We still keep in touch via text and chat servers though." Izuku explains, "You said you spoke with him? How is he?" 

"He's been worried about you. I let him know that you're doing okay at the moment." Aizawa tells him, "he did say he wanted to at least speak with you. Unless you maybe wanted him to come visit?" he suggests. 

"Can he come Zawa?" Izuku asks, grabbing the hero's arm in his excitement, "Can he really come visit? We haven't seen eachother in person since he was moved to a different foster home." He explains, then softer he adds, "I miss him." 

"I can see what we can work out. Keep in mind, you have to be cleared by Hound Dog to have visitors first. Which means you have to show that you're getting better. Think you can do that for me?" Aizawa says to him. 

"I can try Zawa." Izuku tells him, "Is, is that enough?" 

"That's all I can ask of you Izuku." Aizawa assures him, "After all, working on feeling better is the next step in keeping you safe. And you want to stay safe don't you?" 

Izuku nods. "I do wanna stay safe." He pauses, looking down at his lap for a moment. "Toshi needs to be kept safe too." He then says softly, "Zawa, can you save Toshi like you saved me? He says he's fine, but I know that's not exactly true. I'm worried about him." 

Aizawa smiles slightly at the kid, "I can look into it and see what I can do." He tells Izuku. 

"Okay. Thanks Zawa." Izuku mumbles in response, yawning after the fact. 

"You look tired Izuku. How about you get some sleep before dinner?" the hero suggests. 

Izuku shifts himself downwards and makes himself comfortable against the hero's side, "Mmmk." He slurs out, already closing his eyes. 

Aizawa can't help but chuckle at the display. "I'll be here when you wake up." 

---

---

Naomasa double checks the address before he walks up the path to the front door of the small town house. 

He's about an hour and a half away from Hero's Retreat, having driven out here to pick up Shinso Hitoshi. Naomasa received a call from Shouta about a week ago asking if he was willing to pick the kid up. He explained his idea to have Nao pick Shinso up and bring him to see Izuku, and this would also give him a chance to finally meet Izuku himself. He is meeting the kid not as the lead on his case, but simply as Shouta's husband. After all, according to Shouta, Izuku had demanded he get to meet Naomasa after finding out Shouta was married (something Nao noticed Shouta sounded flustered by when relaying said development).

All of this was under the assumption Izuku is cleared for visitors outside or heroes, law enforcement and doctors. By technicality, every visitor Izuku receives much be cleared by his psychiatrist, or in other words, Hound Dog. 

Hound Dog met with Izuku several times over the course of the week and a half that followed Naomasa's agreement to the plan. Most of the early sessions are dedicated to getting a proper gauge on Izuku's many mental states and how they plan to handle each of them as they manifest in the future. Izuku is still in a state of psychosis, so he is still pretty unstable and his mental state differs from day to day. The medications are helping with how extreme each state manifests, but they so far have yet to find one that can help control the cycling at once. This constant cycle of metal states is being looked at as an extreme version of the emotional state cycling seen in patients with manic depression. And thus that diagnosis was also added to Izuku's ever growing list. 

Until they can get a better control on Izuku's metal states as a whole, the main task is determining how best to combat each state as it comes in order to keep Izuku and those around him safe. Thus Hound Dog has been coming out to the hospital each time a different state makes itself known and observing for himself what all it entails. It's been exhausting for everyone involved with Izuku, but they are making progress. 

Enough progress that Izuku was cleared to have Shinso as a visitor today. 

 

Naomasa knocks on the door. There's no answer. So he knocks again. 

He's barely dropped his hand when the door is wrenched open to reveal an angry looking woman with blue hair. 

"Oh. You must be the ride then." The lady says rather tersely. "I didn't think you'd actually come. I'll go get Shinso then." She says. She leaves Naomasa standing at the door as she goes back inside. 

Didn't think he'd come? Why one earth would she think that? Naomasa really doesn't like the vibes he's getting off this woman. 

When the woman comes back, its only thanks to Naomasa's years on the police force that his face doesn't show the horror he feels at the sight of the kid. 

Behind her, being dragged along by the arm, is a purple haired kid who looks to be about Izuku's age. His fear filled eyes have dark circles under them and his shoulders are curled in on himself in a defensive stance. He has a black backpack thrown over his shoulder and he has a death grip on the strap 

But that's not the most concerning part. 

On the kids face is a muzzle. The monstrosity is black and grey, metal and hard plastic, all sharp angles and rough edges. The thing is painful to just look at. It's clear even from this distance that it is on far too tight, the mouth piece cutting into the boy's face leaving irritated skin and slight red trails seeping out. The strap that goes behind the head to secure it is digging into his scalp and leaving what looks to be slight bald patches. 

What the actual fuck is going on here?

 

"You'll have to forgive the unsightly appearance, Shinso has a quirk that he has a hard time controlling, and so he wears this." The woman explains. Naomasa doesn't think he will ever forgive this. 

He makes eye contact with Shinso for a brief second before the kid looks down and away. And that second is all he needs to know that this isn't by choice and isn't because of some so called 'lack of control'. 

This is straight up malicious and abusive. 

"I see." Is all Naomasa can think to say as the kid walks over to stand in front of him. "If that's how it is then, we shall be going. Is there a time he needs to be home by?" he asks, despite having no intention of bringing this kid back here. Ever. 

"Not at all. Just bring him back whenever you're finished." The woman replies.

"Very well, we shall be going then. Good day." Naomasa says to her. 

 

After the front door has closed and they are walking down the path to his car, Naomasa speaks up. 

"Go ahead and hop into the back seat kid. Let's get away from this place and then we can work on getting that thing off of you. I have a tool kit in the back of my car." He says to him. 

Shinso's eyes widen in disbelief, then he nods ever so slightly. Silently, (not just because of the muzzle, this is a self trained ways of existing, of not drawing attention to ones self) Shinso climbs into the back of the car while Naomasa gets into the driver's seat. 

 

Once on the road, now that he's had time to think it over, Naomasa explains what's going to happen. 

"I never properly introduced myself. My name is Tsukauchi Naomasa, I'm a detective with the police force." Shinso freezes at the declaration, "The local precinct for this area is actually a few blocks away from where we are now, so we are going to stop there. The reason for this is I can have someone professionally trained get the muzzle off of you and I will have what I need to properly bag and tag the thing for evidence. I will also need to get pictures of you with it on and then of any damage left as soon as it's off, also for evidence." He explains further. 

Naomasa catches the kid's eye in the rearview mirror, "To clarify, you're not going back here. I plan to make sure you are taken care of properly. Is there anything you need to have picked up from that house?" 

Shinso looks at his backpack, then back as Naomasa, and shakes his head. 

"Alright then." Naomasa replies, "Oh, and it's nice to meet you Shinso-kun. Izuku is very excited to see you." He adds. 

It's impossible to miss the way Shinso's eyes light up at the mention of his friend as he nods and offers a wave to the detective.  

---

Having arrived at the station, Naomasa leads Shinso by the shoulder inside and to the front desk. He's worked joint cases with the precinct before, so he's familiar with at least some of the staff. He quickly explains the situation and is given permission to head to the back and to the infirmary to get Shinso seen to. They get pictures of Shinso with the muzzle on using Naomasa's work phone. He may or may not have also thrown said photos into a draft email to send Shouta which he will send after he calls and explains what the hell is going on, and that they will be late. 

A technician meets them there and makes quirk work of cutting the straps that hold the muzzle on. Shinso eyes the tools that are being held so close to his face and skin warily, but otherwise doesn't protest. Once that straps are taken care of, the technician lets the one of the medical team staff members be the one to pull the muzzle off the kids face while another is beside Shinso with gaze and other supplies at the ready. Naomasa is appalled to learn that his muzzle also has a piece that hold the tongue. 

As soon as the device is removed from the kid's face, Naomasa quickly gets pictures of the damage left behind; also added to said email, because damn it this is tragic. There are cuts and bruises all across Shinso's chin and jaw line, his cheeks and his nose. His lips are slit in several places because they are so dry, on of which is bleeding. Naomasa is also concerned with how Shinso barely even flinches while all the wounds are being cleaned and his jaw is inspected for injury. 

Then, finally, the medics step back and observe their handy work. 

"T-Thank y-you." Shinso says in a soft voice, one that is raspy no doubt from misuse. 

"You're very welcome kid." The one says, while the other nods in agreement. 

Naomasa smiles, "I'm glad that's over with." He admits, "I'll have more questions to ask you later, but for now we can just focus on getting to the hospital in time to visit Izuku. I don't he would ever forgive me if we don't make it in time for visiting hours." He explains. 

"We'll go bag and tag this for evidence, Detective. I'll bring it back for you in a few minutes to take to your station." One of the medics tell him.

"Restroom is down the hall on the left, if you need it kid. I'm glad we could get you taken care of. Have a good day." The other says, waving before he walks out of the room. 

Shinso looks to Naomasa in a silent request for permission. 

"Go on ahead kid. I'm just going to call Shouta and let him know we are going to be a bit late. I'll wait here for you." He says to him. 

Shinso nods again and hurries, still silently, down the hall. 

 

Once he's sure that Shinso is out of earshot, Naomasa quickly pulls out his phone and call his husband. 

It barely rings twice before it's answered, "Nao? What's up? Did you run into problems?" Shouta asks immediately. 

Naomasa takes a deep breath and lets it out, "Did I ever Sho. Apparently it's my turn to save a traumatized child. I picked up Shinso, we had to stop at the local precinct however." He half explains. 

"What's that supposed to mean Nao? Why the hell would you have to do that? What exactly happened?" Shouta all but demands. "Hold that thought, let me move somewhere without an audience." 

Naomasa gathers his thoughts as he waits silently for Shouta to go somewhere he would presume Izuku can't over hear the conversation. 

"Go ahead. I'm listening." 

"Shinso's foster parent answered the door. She made a comment that she didn't expect me to even come. Then she went and brought the kid to the door. And kami Shouta, it wasn't a pretty sight." Nao tells him, "The kid had a muzzle strapped to his face, an actual muzzle. And despite me being told it was for quirk control, it's quite clear that is nothing of the sort. The kid has been abused, probably long before he came to the home he was in now." 

There's a brief silence

"What the fuck is wrong with this society." Shouta mutters, "Can't anyone treat kids like actual human beings? Seriously." 

Naomasa chuckles dryly. "I'm sure there are some people who can. We just don't meet them often in our line of work." He comments. "I have no intention of letting this kid go back Sho." Naomasa then tells him. 

"I figured as much." Shouta replies, "Let's hope the two don't mind sharing a room then given we only have one room to spare." 

"You're serious? It was that easy to persuade you?" Naomasa demands in disbelief. 

"You haven't heard Izuku ramble on about his best, and only, friend for the past week." Shouta elaborates, "Not to mention Izuku knows what Hitoshi, sorry, Shinso has been going through. He's asked me on several occasions to, and I quote, 'save Hitoshi like I saved him'. If taking in another kid is how we end up accomplishing it, then I don't see the problem. It's only logical, the two are quite close it turns out." 

Naomasa takes a moment to let that process. While he does he can hear Shinso's footsteps approaching from down the hall.

"I guess that does make sense then." Naomasa concedes, "The kids coming back, so I gotta go. See you soon Sho. Love you." 

"Love you to Nao. Thanks for the update." Shouta replies. 

 

Naomasa puts his phone away as Shinso stops in front of him. 

"Ready do go kid?" he asks. 

Shinso nods, "Y-yes." He mumbles. 

"Great. Let's go see Izuku then." 

---

Once at the car, Shinso speaks up,  "I'm Shinso Hitoshi by the way. It's nice to meet you Tsukauchi-san, thanks for the help." 

"It was my pleasure. It's nice to meet you Shinso-kun." Naomasa greets again.

There's a brief silence in which  Naomasa decides a proper explanation for him being the one to pick Shinso up is in order. 

"So I take it Shouta didn't tell you exactly why I'm the one picking you up did he?" Naomasa begins as he pulls away from the station. 

"Not really. Just that you were a good friend and wouldn't mind the massive detour." Shinso tells him. 

"Good friend is one way to put it." Naomasa chuckles lightly, "Shouta is my husband actually." He informs. 

"Oh. Okay then. That explains the willingness to do this rather large favor." Shinso replies. 

Naomasa laughs, "I suppose it does. Although this will also be my first time meeting Izuku. He was just cleared for visitors a few days ago actually." 

"Only a few days ago? Its been like two weeks since the Aldera Incident. Was he hurt that badly?" Shinso demands, sounding extremely concerned. 

"Not exactly. Which brings us to the other reason I was the best one to pick you up. I am also the lead of the police case surrounding the Aldera Incident. Which puts me in the position to explain to you what exactly happened with Izuku and why he's in the hospital to begin with. Izuku said it was okay that we tell you, I don't think he wanted to be the one who had to explain himself. Not that I can blame the kid." Naomasa explains. 

"So what happened?" Shinso asks. 

"You heard how the attacker was one of the students a the school?" 

"I did, yeah. Although from my time there, I've learned there's plenty of crazy people there. So I wasn't all that surprised." Shinso tells him. 

"Well, would you be surprised if I told you it was Izuku who attacked the school?" Naomasa inquires. 

Shinso doesn't respond. 

"Let me clarify. Due to the abuse that Izuku was subject to at the school over the years, he suffered a violent psychotic break and lashed out in order to defend himself. So in a way it wasn't really Izuku choosing to attack and kill people." Naomasa elaborates. 

"He was put through some crazy shit. I knew he would snap someday. But not like this." Shinso admits. "But wait. The news said it was found to be a quirk incident. Izuku's quirkless." 

"Right, that. Izuku actually had a quirk forcibly develop due to the trauma. It's a sentient quirk that will stop at nothing to keep Izuku safe. The quirk mainly manifests as a voice Izuku can hear in his head, who Izuku has since named 'Variant'. However, the quirk can also take full control of Izuku, to better keep Izuku safe and help him defend himself. This was the case when Izuku attacked the school." Naomasa clarifies. 

"I guess that does explain it then." Shinso replies in understanding "Wow. Izuku has a quirk now, crazy. I image given the circumstance he has mixed feelings about it all, despite being absolutely obsessed with quirks." Shinso figures. 

"That's correct. So I suggest you don't mention Variant until Izuku does. And don't call it a quirk at all, unless Izuku does so first. You need to understand that while he was cleared for visitors, Izuku is still largely unstable mentally. If you act like you normally do around him, you should be fine. Just don't bring up anything about the Aldera Incident. That's a topic we are avoiding as best we can unless his psychiatrist in involved." Naomasa says, letting Shinso know what he can expect. "Fair warning, Izuku is in the psychiatric ward of Hero's Retreat." 

"Damn." Shinso responds, sounding surprised, "He really is being taken care of then." 

"My husband is a pro hero, so I would expect nothing less. He's the one who calmed Izuku down enough to bring him out of the school. Izuku trauma bonded to him, and has hardly left the his side since." Naomasa tells him with a smile. 

"Which hero, if I'm allowed to ask?" Shinso inquiries. 

"Eraserhead, he's an underground hero. So you probably haven't heard of him." Naomasa answers. 

"No, I have. He's one of my favorites actually. He's proof you don't need a flashy quirk to be a hero. He was one of Izuku's favorites also, given he fights mostly quirkless." Shinso replies. 

"So we've heard. Do you want to be a hero Shinso-kun?" Naomasa can't help but ask. 

"I do. I'm going to prove everyone who calls me a villain wrong. Or, well, try to at least." Shinso declares. 

Shinso doesn't miss the way Naomasa grimaces. 

"You're not a villain, Shinso-kun." Naomasa tries telling him. 

"I am if I have a villainous quirk." Shinso counters. 

The detective sighs, "No quirk is villainous or not. Quirks are tools and nothing more." He says, "Look at Shouta's quirk. People used to say he had a villain's quirk because he could take other people's quirks away. And yet now he's a pro hero." Naomasa points out. 

Shinso doesn't respond right away. 

"I don't expect you to believe me now kid. It's just something to think about." Naomasa assures, "How you've been treated is wrong. And I intend to do what I can to put a stop to it. You have my word." 

"Brainwashing." Shinso says suddenly, "My quirk is brainwashing. It's voice activated, hence the- the muzzles. I ask a person a question and if they answer me I can take control of them and direct them to do what I want." He explains, voice getting softer and softer as he continues talking. 

"That also sounds very useful to me. Especially for heroics." Naomasa replies, "Hostage situations and more peaceful take downs are what comes to mind, immediately at least." 

Shinso chuckles lightly, "Now you sound like Izuku." He mutters. 

Naomasa smiles, "From what I've heard, Izuku is very intelligent. Especially when it comes to quirks." 

Shinso nods, "He really is. He can analyze, understand and explain a quirk almost instantly. And the amount of ways he can come up with to use said quirk is crazy. You had best be prepared to be interrogated if you end up telling him your quirk. He tends to get a bit carried away. It's cool to listen to all his ideas and thoughts though." 

"I was warned of the same thing by Shouta." Naomasa agrees, "Apparently his analysis abilities have piqued the interest of several other heroes. One of which being Nedzu." 

Shinso's eyes widen, "He got Nedzu's attention? Why am I even surprised? Of course he did with that brain of his." Shinso muses, "Although I imagine the two of them in the same room would be quite terrifying. If not impossible to keep up with in a conversation." 

"That's what Shouta and Hawks told me. The two have already had one conversation about quirks. And it's only a matter of time before they get a chance to talk again." Naomasa tells him. 

"I'll have to ask him about it then." Shinso replies. 

"You seem really excited to see him. I know I've heard how excited he is to see you." Naomasa says. 

"I am really excited. He's my closest friend." Shinso admits. "We're practically brothers." Hitoshi says. 

Naomasa just smiles. Well that solves that problem then. He's also looking forward to seeing the two reunite. 

Notes:

Greetings my dudes!
I'm back within a week this time!

Time for another ramble of an author's note! Do most people even read the authors notes? I know I do, but then again I'm an author myself so I'm a little biased
Let me know in the comments i guess? I dunno.

I had 3/4 of this chapter written within the two days that followed me posting chapter 7. I was inspired and excited and ended up coming up with a shit ton of ideas and plot points for this fic.

I know I said time skip this chapter, but I ended up coming up with more stuff that needed to happen first. So here we are.

The whole chat server thing was a random idea i had. I'm still working on the details of how it will be used. So don't ask me anything about that just yet. I'm not ready to comment on that subject. I'll take ideas tho.

Izuku finding out about his quirk this chapter wasn't exactly planned. I had him asking them what happened and realized the position it left AIzawa and Stephan in. And I imagine AIzawa would refuse to lie to Izuku after everything he's been through.
I also didn't see any 'nice' way for them to end up having to tell him. Them eventually being forced to tell him the truth seemed like the most realistic way to have this play out. And trust me, I put a lot of thought into how this would go down. Let me know how I did.

I know at least one of you guys mentioned Rei meeting Izuku. So there you have it.
I also used the came premise for Rei's background as I did in my other fic. I dunno why, I just love the random idea I came up with. I want her to be a badass. And no one is going to stop me. Why a programmer though? Other than LaBrava we really don't have a cannon character assigned to the role of computers and hacking and such (yes I am aware programming and hacking are two VERY different things) . I mean, Nedzu or Mei could kinda be made to fit that role, but still. Me being a programmer myself probably had something to do with this decision.

As for the card game they played, Skip-bo is a real game. It's one that I first learned durring my time in a behavioral health ward. We played it all the time.
Which reminds me, a lot of the room descriptions and rules and such are based off of where I was hospitalized at. In case anyone was wondering about the oddly specific and somewhat well informed details.
That was years ago however. I'm a lot better than I used to be back then

Anyway!
So Hitoshi.
I actually had the entire scene of them discussing Izuku written out as just being a simple pick up and conversation while driving. Then, on my way home from work yesterday, I had the idea for how the scene now plays out. I ended up having to rewrite and rework a lot of it. But I really like how it turned out.
What about you guys?

This authors note ended up super long. Wow. I guess you guys have come to expect that from me by now though.

On that note, thanks for reading, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
Let me know what you think in the comments!

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 9: So Familiar is What You Feel

Summary:

Once again pushed over the brink,
so familiar is what you feel
I was too afraid to think,
it reminds you that I am real
~~
Hitoshi and Tsukauchi finally arrive at Hero's Retreat.
Reunions are had. Izuku is a cuddle demon.
Variant has fun.
It's just controlled chaos at this point.

EDIT: 04/24/2022: I forgot the summary and title so I added it, sorry to those who thought there was another update!

Notes:

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah *scrambles into room while screaming*

I'm here. I'm back.
Those of you who thought I was done, I apologize.
Those of you who hoped I was done... why tho? Why are you here?

Anyway. This chapter did not want to be written, which I will probably ramble about in the author's note at the end. You know how I roll at this point.

So...um.. ENJOY :D

Hitoshi silently follows Tsukauchi into the hospital. Leave it to Izuku to end up in a hospital full of heroes. 

Much to Hitoshi's surprise no one seemed to think much of them being civilians walking into the hospital. Maybe it's because Tsukauchi is a detective with the police. Who knows. 

"We have to head to the visitor's lobby and wait for someone to bring us our passes before we can go see Izuku." Tsukauchi tells Hitoshi as he opens another door that leads into a hallway. 

As they walk down the halls, Hitoshi has already spotted a few lower ranked heroes walking past them. Most of them wave at the detective as the pass, some even wave at Hitoshi himself. 

Tsukauchi stops in front of another door, this one decorated with signatures, hero signatures. 

"This is the visitor's lobby. Fair warning, there are likely to be heroes in here. Just treat them as you would anyone else. There's a reason they have a hospital all their own, getting special treatment all the time gets old for most heroes after a while." Tsukauchi explains. 

Hitoshi nods in understanding and heads through the door as the detective pulls it open. 

 

The room looks like any other hospital waiting room, just add food, drinks, and pro heroes. There are some civilians scattered about as well, not that Hitoshi can tell the difference between the two all that well. That's Izuku's forte, not his. 

What does catch Hitoshi's eye is the table in the back corner of the room with four heroes huddled around the front side of it and another sitting behind it watching them, almost as if standing guard. 

 

"Looks like there's something special going on over there." Tsukauchi points out from right behind Hitoshi, making him jump, "What do you say we go see what that's all about while we wait for our escort?" he then suggests.

"Okay." Hitoshi agrees simply. 

 

The two arrive at the table just as four heroes walk away, leaving just the blue haired guy sitting behind it. He smiles at them. 

"Hey Tsukauchi! Long time no see, how have you been?" he greets the detective. 

"Hello Tensei. I'm doing well, although I've been better." Tsukauchi replies easily. 

"So who's this you've got with you?" the man then asks. 

Hitoshi resists the urge to take a few steps back. He's not used to being the center of any conversation's attention. 

"This is Shinso Hitoshi, I've brought him here to visit a friend who is in care here." Tsukauchi answers. 

The blue haired man beams, "Well it's nice to meet you Shinso-kun. My name is Iida Tensei. Though you might know me as the hero-" 

"Ingenium." Hitoshi interrupts, surprising even himself with his boldness. 

Both adults look at him, surprised looks on their faces. 

"That's right buddy, how'd you know?" Iida-san asks. 

"My friend is obsessed with heroes. Hang out with Izuku and listen to his rambles long enough and you pick up a thing or two from them." Hitoshi explains. 

Somehow Iida-san's smile gets even wider, "You're here to see Izuku? That's great! He came to see us down here in the visitor's lobby a few weeks ago." Iida-san tells him, "And you're right, he's definitely obsessed with heroes." He agrees. "In fact that's why we've been working on these notebooks." 

This statement turns both Hitoshi's and Tsukauchi's attention to the two books spread open on the table. On the open pages of the right one, Hitoshi can see a dozen or so signatures, the style of which imply they are from pros. And on the open pages of the left he can make out what looks to be...quirk notes? 

 

"You can pick them up and look at them if you want." Iida-san tells them, "I'm here watching you so no one will put up a fuss. We try to always have someone watching the notebooks so no one walks off with them." He explains, "We started with one notebook, but then soon realized we would run out of space with all we wanted to write, so we ended up grabbing another one." 

Hitoshi picks up the left notebook, it has a deep indigo colored cover which is leather. He turns a few pages and skims them. Written inside, one page per hero it would seem, are notes on their quirks and answers to...questions? Seriously? 

 

"That one you're holding Shinso-kun is the more interesting of the two." Iida-san informs him, "When Izuku was here, he had a ton of questions for us and theories he had come up with about our quirks. And while some of us, like Best Jeanist, could test them here, most of us needed a more suitable environment to try some of the stuff he proposed. And when most of the results ended up being as predicted and the suggestions turned out to be super helpful, we all wanted a chance to tell him what we discovered and how it's being used. So we grabbed a second notebook and each of us gets a page." Iida-san elaborates. 

"Surely all these heroes weren't all here when Izuku came down to visit for two hours?" Tsukauchi questions. 

Iida-san smiles, "No, they weren't. You have Nedzu to thank for the rest of them being asked questions. Apparently the rat has gotten his hands on Izuku's famous notebooks. When he inevitably found out about our little project here, he took the liberty of sending out Izuku's questions and theories to many, many other heroes." 

"Of course he did. I should have expected him to do something like that." Tsukauchi says, sounding unnerved. 

"We plan on giving them to Izuku when he's being discharged." Iida-san tells them, "So do us a favor and keep it a secret for the time being. Can you do that?" 

Hitoshi nods. 

"We can. I'd hate to ruin such a great surprise. I might have half the hero industry after me." Naomasa answers. 

Iida-san laughs, "Only half? You keep thinking that Tsukauchi." 

 "I like to be optimistic." Tsukauchi replies. 

Hitoshi can't fathom why you would want to be, but more power to him he supposes. 

"So if Shinso is here to see Izuku, does that mean you're here to see Shouta?" Iida-san asks. 

Naomasa nods, face flushing, "I am. How'd you know he was here?" he asks. 

"Oh, Izuku had his goggles around his neck when he was here along with a piece of his capture weapon. We all never thought we'd see the day Shouta went fully soft for a child, but after listening to Izuku's ramblings about his hero we all decided that miracles can happen." Iida-san explains. 

"Shouta said that was the only way he could keep the kid from panicking when he went to leave. It was his way of assuring Izuku that he'd be coming back." Naomasa explains fondly.

"If that's what makes him feel better, sure." Iida-san replies, "I've tried texting him a few times, but I think I'm being ignored."

Naomasa shakes his head, "I think he probably just hasn't had a chance to go through many of his messages. He's had his hands full with Izuku 24/7 over the past two weeks." He explains. 

Iida-san nods, "That bad huh? How is the little guy doing anyway?" he asks. 

Naomasa shakes his head, "Izuku's health directly influences two active cases, Tensei. As such I can't tell you anything without proper authorization." 

Iida-san's face fills with shock and realization, eyes widening and expression tightening, "Sounds like he's in deep. I won't press for details then. Just know that if you need any help or another hero, all you gotta do is ask. I'm sure that goes for a bunch of us."

"I appreciate it, Tensei. I'll keep that in mind." Naomasa replies. 

 

Then the 'staff only' door opens then, and someone walks into the room. 

Hitoshi looks over to see a tall, blonde haired young man.

 

The man is in nurse's scrubs, the pants a deep indigo and the shirt a purple shade with different arrows on it. He has shoulder length blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Hanging in his one hand are two lanyards with what look to be visitor's badges on the ends of them. 

He catches sight of their group and heads right over. 

"How are you Tsuka-san? Tensei?" he greets. 

Tsukauchi makes a face, "Do I know you?" he asks. 

"Indeed you do, be here I'm just Stephan, Stephan James to be precise. And I'm Izuku's assigned case nurse." He explains with a smile. 

Hitoshi can practically see the gears turning in the poor detective's head. 

Iida-san laughs, "Hey Stephan, it's good to see you. Try not to torment the poor detective too much yeah?" 

Stephan shrugs, "I'll think about it." Then he turns his attention to Hitoshi, "And you must be Shinso Hitoshi. I've been hearing about you from Izuku non stop for days now." He says. 

Hitoshi isn't even surprised. "Hello." He greets. 

"I brought your visitors' badges," Stephan tells them, holding them up, "And detective, you're going to need your police badge and ID as well. Plenty of security check points along the way." 

Detective Tsukauchi nods, "I have it, thanks for the warning." He replies, "Shall we get going? We're late enough as it is." 

"Technically visitor's hours just started, you guys were originally getting in early because Tsuka-san is on on the force, so you haven't really missed much." Stephan assures them, handing the passes to both Tsukauchi and Hitoshi. 

Hitoshi puts his pass around his neck and turns to Iida-san, "Thanks for showing us the notebooks." 

Iida-san beams, "No problem Shinso-kun! Tell Izuku I say hi." He says. This is followed by a couple more people in the room echoing said request. 

"Okay." Is all Hitoshi really can think to say. 

 

Stephan then opens the door to the nurses halls. "Off we go." He prompts, as enthusiastic as ever. 

The two pass through the door then let Stephan take the lead. 

"So how has Izuku really been, Stephan?" Tsukauchi asks. 

Stephan's smile dulls, "It's been a rough few weeks for the kid. For as much as he's getting better, he still has plenty of set backs." He replies, then glances at Hitoshi, "He know's what's up, correct?" 

Tsukauchi nods, "Given we are headed to a psychiatric ward, I felt he had a right to know what he's in for." He answers. 

"Fair enough. That's fine." Stephan replies, "Izuku had another episode last night. We had to sedate him after Eraser couldn't calm the kid down. And here we thought we could take the bandages off for your visit today. But we can't risk him having access to the skin of his arms or legs to scratch up even more than he already has." Stephan continues, "Just pretend they're not even there. Same with the feeding tube he's got running into his nose." 

"Feeding tube?" Hitoshi asks, unable to keep his concern out of his voice. 

Stephan gives him a soft look, "It's not as serious as it sounds. It's only temporary. Izuku just has days were we can't get him to eat, so the tube is there so he's not going hungry. That kid is far too thin as it is." 

Hitoshi nods in understanding. Sounds like Izuku.

They reach a checkpoint and Stephan scans his badge along with swiping another pass. Tsukauchi then scans his detective's badge and swipes his visitor's badge.

"Go ahead and swipe yours as well Shinso." Tsukauchi prompts. 

Hitoshi nods and does as he's told. 

They end up doing this another three times as they make their way down the hall. 

 

Finally they reach a set of double doors, "Here we are, the psychiatric wing." Stephan informs them. "There aren't too many other patients besides Izuku right now. Even so, try not to pay them any mind." He instructs. 

Then they all scan their stuff again and the door open automatically. They pass a nurses station where they are waved to by the three nurses that are sitting at the desks inside. Stephan waves cheerily back. This guy is starting to remind Hitoshi of Izuku, at least a little bit. They then head down the hall. 

---

"Here we are." Stephan says, stopping in front of a closed door. "Are you ready?" he then asks, the question directed at Hitoshi himself. 

Hitoshi nods without hesitation, prompting Stephan to knock on the door. 

"Can I come in? I brought visitors this time." the nurse asks the door. 

There's a brief silence, "Come in Stephan." A deeper male voice answers, one that Hitoshi recognizes to be Aizawa-san. 

 

Stephan then opens the door and lets Hitoshi and Tsukauchi walk into the room. 

Hitoshi has barely made it through the doorway before his is impacted by a smaller body. He staggers back only slightly before looking down at his would be assailant. Sure enough, he is greeted by curly green hair, coming no higher than his collarbone. 

"Hey Izu. It's good to see you." He greets. "I missed you." 

Izuku's response is to nuzzle his face further into Hitoshi. Hitoshi chuckles. "I take it you missed me then?" he asks. 

Izuku finally looks up at him, a smile lighting up his face, "Of course I did. So much it hurt." He replies. 

"Sounds like we both suffered then." Hitoshi replies, "You going to let go so we can go sit down?" 

Izuku presses his face back into Hitoshi's chest, grip tightening, and he answers with a muffled "Nope." 

Hitoshi honestly expected no different. So he simply crouches down some, without a word, leading to Izuku latching fully onto his friend, arms moving to his neck and legs around his hips. Hitoshi just goes with it, having done this countless times before, and proceeds to pick Izuku up. 

Upon standing up he notices all three adults in the room are staring at them, but he can't find it in himself to care. Hitoshi just walks further into the room towards the bed in the back corner, the only one that looks used. He sits them both down and leans against the wall. Hitoshi starts running a hand through Izuku's fluffy curls, resulting in his friend melting into him, doing his best to combine with him via osmosis.  

This is just how they exist now. They're going to have to pry them apart and drag Hitoshi out if they ever want him to leave.

                                                     

---

Shouta can't help but stare as Izuku barrels into the purple haired teen who had just walked through the door, then proceeds to latch onto him with clearly no intention of letting go. 

Call him crazy, but after having been the one clung to for the past three weeks, it's somewhat surreal to see someone else finally being subject to the same fate. 

When Izuku declares he's not letting go, the Shinso kid proceeds to pick Izuku up and Izuku koalas onto his friend. They settle on the bed, Shinso leaning against the wall and running a hand through Izuku's hair, something Shouta knows turns the greenette into contented mush. 

It's clear that they are going to have one hell of a time separating them at the end of this visit.

Shouta doesn't know if he's relieved or concerned that Shinso hasn't paid Izuku's appearance any mind. Either he just doesn't want to upset him, or it's not as much of a shock as it should be. 

 

A hand lacing through his pulls Shouta's attention from the two boys. He looks up to find his husband standing beside him. 

"Nao." Shouta greets softly. 

"Sho." Naomasa answers. "It's good to see you." 

Shouta nods, "I missed you." then pauses, "You look terrible." 

Naomasa gives him a mock offended look, "Thanks for pointing that out. I can't say it's been an easy week." 

Shouta nods, leaning into his husband, "Agreed." 

---

The adults end up talking quietly while Hitoshi just sits silently with Izuku on top of him. 

Eventually, once Izuku is satisfied with having absorbed enough of Hitoshi's warmth, he does separate from Hitoshi to sit across from him. Even then as the two sit on the bed, they sit as close to each other as is still possible, legs crossed in front of them with their knees touching.  

 

Now that he's in front of him, Hitoshi takes the time to really look at his best friend. 

It looks like Izuku, somehow, got even thinner. There are bags forming under his bright green eyes, and they rival Hitoshi's own. Just as Stephan had said, there is a tube taped across Izuku's cheek leading into his nose. His arms are indeed wrapped in bandages, slight reddish brown patches scattering the white fabric. Izuku is wearing a pair of sweatpants that look Hawks themed and a shirt that says 'socks' on it and his hair is as untamable as always.

Overall Izuku just looks, tired. The kind of bone deep tired that doesn't fade with sleep. The kind of tired that takes hitting rock bottom to achieve. 

 

"You're late Toshi." Izuku declares, whining slightly, and it's the first thing out of his mouth. 

Hitoshi drops his head in defeat, sighing, "I know. There was a bit of a, complication when Tsukauchi-san picked me up." He explains vaguely. 

Izuku gives him a skeptical look and Hitoshi meets his eyes, suddenly very aware of the tell tale cuts and gashes scattered across his nose, cheeks and jawline. Ones that he had long gotten used to and stopped bothering to hide. 

After all, until today, Izuku was the only one who seemed to care. 

 

"They had that thing on you again, didn't they." Izuku declares, having spat the word as if it were a poison. 

Hitoshi frowns, "Yeah, they did. They don't make me wear it at home...but they do make me wear it every time I leave the house." He explains quietly.

Izuku scowls down at his bandaged hands and Hitoshi hears a low growl from his friend. When Izuku looks up, Hitoshi swears his eyes are glowing faint green. Interesting. 

"People are cruel." Izuku mutters, "Harming others without a care because of things they can't control. All this hurting needs to stop." He states, voice dripping venom. The look on his face is terrifying, it's dangerous, threatening. Izuku's eyes, still faintly glowing green, are narrowed and focused, gone is the soft shine from his eyes, replaced with a sharp glint that makes Hitoshi's hairs stand on end. 

He's never seen this side of Izuku, and Hitoshi finds he quite likes it. 

Then, as quickly as it appeared, its gone. Back to the gentle boy Hitoshi knows and loves. 

"But the heroes I've met so far are pretty nice. Especially Zawa!" he chirps. 

"Oh yeah? And who else have you met Izu?" Hitoshi asks, indulging his best friend's enthusiasm. 

"I've met lots of heroes! Zawa is the one who saved me, he's Eraserhead. Can you believe it Toshi, it's the Eraserhead. He even gave me a piece of his capture weapon see?" Izuku holds up his piece scarf, "Hawks was also there helping him. And he gave me one of his feathers. His flight feather. I have it here too." Izuku produces a feather from his pocket. "He came to the hospital too, but he met us here after. When he came he brought Hound Dog and Nedzu! I can't believe he brought Nedzu. And Hound Dog is actually my doctor. I didn't know he had a license in psychiatry, I'll have to add that to my notebooks later. He asked me to call him Ryo-san though, so I try my best to remember. I'm getting better at it.

"Two weeks ago, at least I think it was two weeks ago, maybe three? I dunno. Anyway, Stephan took me to see a bunch of heroes down at the visitor's lobby. There were a whole bunch of heroes! I met Ingenium, Best Jeanist, Ryuku, Fat Gum and whole bunch of others! I got to ask them questions about their quirks and tell them my theories and ideas. It was awesome!" 

Izuku finally takes a full breath, excited rambles coming to a halt. "Sorry, I really started rambling didn't I." He mumbles. 

Hitoshi smiles, "It's fine Izu, you know I don't mind. I met Ingenium when we stopped in the visitor's lobby. He says 'hi' by the way. So do the others." 

Izuku beams. "Really? That's awesome!" 

---

Once they were all in the room, Stephan had went and settled himself in his usual chair on the opposite wall from the two beds. 

Aizawa and Tsukauchi were talking with each other quietly, and from what Stephan could hear it was mostly just catching up and small talk. Given how long the two have been apart, they've more than earned it. Nothing serious or constructive, just cat stories and happenings around the precinct; Izuku's many antics and UA's brand of chaos.  

 

Suddenly, Stephan gets an idea. 

Hiding his self satisfied grin, he pulls out his phone. He is often seen with it out when he's in the room with Eraserhead while Izuku is sleeping or passed out. 

He opens up the Chaos Chat app and types up a message for his Questionable Quirks server.

 

----

#Questionable Quirks

Quirkless_Chaotic: how is @everyone?

 ----

Simple yet effective. 

Stephan hits send and relishes in the sound of four phones buzzing. Wait...four? Okay then. 

 

Shinso's phone buzzes, and he pulls it out of his pocket. Izuku leans over and reads from his screen. 

Tsukauchi and Aizawa both pull their phones out, resulting in Eraser giving Stephan a knowing yet unimpressed look. To which Stephan simply grins right back. 

Aizawa then types up a message in full view of the others.

 

----

#Questionable Quirks

 

TangledAndTired: I see what you're doing.

Quirkless Chaotic: I have no idea what you're talking about.

-----

At this point Hitoshi had opened the side table drawer and handed Izuku his phone, the continuous vibrations alerting him to it's location. Izuku seems to hesitate before Hitoshi types his password in for him and unlocks the phone, and the Chaos Chat app is already open. 

 

Hitoshi eyes the adults in the room before typing. 

-----

#Questionable Quirks

MustLearnControl: we can finally fight Chaotic. time to settle this

Quirkless Chaotic: Ready to get your ass kicked? 

MustLearnControl: absolutely

MustLearnControl: come at me 

---

The two make eye contact, then both grin like maniacs. Izuku seems to catch on pretty quickly as well. 

Tsukauchi looks terrified, while Aizawa just looks even more tired. 

 

---

#Questionable Quirks

Duel-Wielding: Someone had better be around to stop them.

UnMuted: I second that.

UnMuted: @TiredAndTangled, you got this one? 

TiredAndTangled: no

UnMuted: 0.0

TiredAndTangled: still no

HoldingtheMatches: I say we let them fight. They threaten each other enough. 

PlayerDone: i agree. let me know who wins

FastTravel: I thought we said no fighting. That also included in person. 

HoldingtheMatches: tell that to Player, hes just as bad.

FastTravel: sigh

---

 

Shinso and Stephan seem to have decided to ignore the chat in favor of staring each other down. Izuku looks back and forth between the chat and the stand off while Tsukauchi is already on his feet. 

 

----

#Questionable Quirks

Green-eyed_Genius: @GateOfTruth I'll grab Control. You grab Chaotic. 

GateOfTruth: roger that

Duel-Wielding: Genius has returned to save us all

Unmuted: Whooooo Genius!

FastTravel: Good Luck Genius. You're going to need it.

----

---

In the end, Eraserhead's capture scarf was the one to really solve the problem. Now trapped, all it took was one harsh, red-eyed glare for the two to give up. Both slump to the floor in defeat.

 

Izuku giggles, "We knew this day would come." 

Tsukauchi smiles, "I'm just glad I was here to witness it." 

Aizawa keeps glaring as he retracts his capture weapon, thus releasing his hostages, "And of course, I had to be the one to stop it. You two are worse than my students." 

"Sho, you don't have any students this year. You expelled them." Tsukauchi reminds him. 

"And why do you think that is?" Aizawa asks in reply. 

"Because they had no potential!" Izuku chirps before the detective can get a word in. 

Aizawa looks at Izuku and gives him a cheshire grin, "That's right kid. At least someone listens." 

Meanwhile Tsukauchi is staring at the child that just made his husband smile, albeit his more terrifying version, but smile none the less. 

                              

---

                                                                     

After that...interesting situation with the chat server, Stephan suggested they all move to the dining area to have lunch. 

Izuku agreed almost instantly, having been hungry for a while now given the 'meals' he receives through the tube don't keep him full anywhere near as long as the real thing. 

 

Of course, it turned out that Rei was sitting and eating as well. So Izuku dragged Hitoshi by the arm to go meet her. Hitoshi was a stuttering mess in the face of meeting a new person, but to his relief, Rei really was a nice as Izuku said she was. 

Tsukauchi also came over to say hello, to which Rei was delighted over.

 

It was over lunch that they all suddenly realized there was never any proper introductions. So a round of those ensued while they ate. 

Then the adults just listened as Izuku and Hitoshi chattered on about anything that came to mind; Aizawa and Tsukauchi sharing a look over the boy's heads.

---

 Having eaten, they all decide to head back to Izuku's room. 

Izuku lets himself be lead along by Hitoshi's arm around his shoulders, pressed into his best friend's side. 

Izuku is tired. Now he just wants to sleep, preferably on Hitoshi. Hitoshi gives the best cuddles in his opinion. Even better than Zawa. 

 

Hitoshi leads him over to his bed where he proceeds to flop down onto the bed face first. He can hear Hitoshi's chuckles from behind him, and Izuku knows he probably makes for a ridiculous sight. But he can't seem to find it in himself to care. 

He's just going to close his eyes for a minute... 

---

Next time Izuku opens his eyes, he's laying beside Hitoshi on the bed, pressed into his side much like he does with Zawa. He must have fallen asleep for a bit, or just straight up blacked out. With the way his new meds always seem to mess with him, anything is possible at this point. 

 

"Izuku." He hears Aizawa speak up. 

Izuku turns his gaze to Zawa, blinking a few times so he comes fully into focus. 

"Nao and I need to go somewhere private to talk. So you'll be here with Shinso and Stephan for a little while, okay?" he says. 

 

Suddenly Izuku is wide awake. 

He bolts upwards, sitting straight up and startling Hitoshi, causing him to roll into the wall. 

"Y-you. Y-you're l-leaving?" Izuku asks, terrified, stutter having returned full force. 

Aizawa crouches down in front of Izuku. Hitoshi has since recovered and is sitting up and leaning against the wall. He watches his friend with deep concern, eyeing Aizawa with an untrusting stare. 

Izuku, for his part, is already panicking; breathing picking up speed and tears gathering in his eyes. He's leaving? But they've been over this. He can't leave. Zawa can't leave Izuku all alone. 

~He has to keep us safe. What is he doing.~

 

Familiar hands take hold of Izuku's shoulders on either side, "Izuku. You need to breathe." Zawa's voice commands. 

Izuku tries, really he does, but it's not working. It's not working and he can't breathe and Zawa is leaving him and he's gonna die and--

"Izuku, calm down. You're not going to die. I'm just going down the hall, and its only for an hour. But before that, you need to breathe." 

 

A hand takes hold of his and rests it on someone's chest. Zawa's chest, some part of him supplies. Somehow Izuku is sitting in the hero's lap, just like every other time. 

"You feel that? Follow my breathing. In, two, three, four; out, two, three, four." Zawa instructs through the haze taking over Izuku's mind. 

And Izuku follows his lead, just like every other time. 

 

They've established a system at this point. And Izuku is happy to say it usually works. Because he doesn't like panicking till he passes out, or until the sedate him. He always ends up disoriented. And while the sedative makes it hard to worry over just about anything, making his head all fuzzy and floaty like Variant does, Variant hates it. 

He hates how it leaves both of them vulnerable and unable to defend themselves. So they're still arguing over if being sedated is really okay with them. 

 

 Izuku isn't sure how much time passes, as he sits in Aizawa's lap, the hero rocking them slightly, but he eventually settles down. 

"Now then." Aizawa says, breaking the silence of the room, "Can we try this again, and listen to everything before we start panicking this time?" he asks. 

Izuku suddenly feels guilty. He's done it again, freaking out over nothing. "Okay Zawa." He replies, not meeting the hero's eyes. 

"Izuku, you did nothing wrong. This is going to take time, but you have to be willing to work with us here." Aizawa says in a softer tone. 

"I am. It's just...hard." Izuku tells him, not sure how to explain the way he can't stand the idea of being left alone, of losing the one person whose cared about him. 

 

"It'll get easier." Zawa assures, "So as I was trying to explain, Naomasa and I need to go talk some where privately. We are just going down the hall, and won't be gone more than an hour. That would leave you here with Hitoshi and Stephan. I'll be near by if something happens." He explains. 

That doesn't sound so bad to Izuku. He will have Hitoshi and Stephan still.

~Stephan can keep us safe. He has proven that.~ Variant agrees. 

Although it looks like Hitoshi hasn't gained the voice's approval just yet. 

~I just met him. I must learn more before I decide if I trust him.~

  Right, Variant wasn't around when Hitoshi still went to school with Izuku. 

 

"Izuku? What do you think?" Zawa's voice interrupts. 

Oops. "I think I'll be okay. Variant says we should be fine with Stephan here at least." He tells him, then looks to Hitoshi, "He's still deciding if he likes Toshi though." 

Hitoshi raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn't comment. 

"Can I have your goggles again this time Zawa?"  Izuku asks. 

Aizawa shakes his head, "Not this time. This time I have something better to give you." He shifts as if to get up, however Izuku reflexively tightens his grip. 

The hero, for his part, just works around it. "Nao, can you grab it? It's in my duffle bag in the corner." He asks his husband. 

"Sure, I can grab it Sho." Tsukauchi replies. 

Izuku looks over at Hitoshi next to them. He smiles at his friend and pokes his arm. Hitoshi smirks and pokes Izuku's cheek in retaliation, causing the greenette to  squeak in surprise. 

 

"Here you go Izuku. And you can hold on to this one." Aizawa says. 

And before Izuku can even look up, fabric is dropped over his head and around his neck. It's a comforting weight and it's almost cozy. Izuku brings his hands up as he inspects the fabric. 

Oh. This is, this is like Zawa's scarf. 

And Izuku gets to keep it? Really? 

Izuku just stares at the capture weapon in awe for a long moment, completely silent and disbelieving. 

Izuku.exe has officially stopped working.

---

Shouta smiles to himself as Izuku blue screens with the capture weapon now around his neck. 

Shouta had asked Nao to pack it with the rest of his stuff he picked up his duffle bag at the case meeting two weeks ago. It was just a matter of waiting for a good time to give it to Izuku. He figured it would be best to save if for when he absolutely had to leave. 

They've tried over the past week to get Izuku warmed up to the idea of Shouta leaving the room. Not going off anywhere, just standing outside while Izuku meets with Hound Dog. They haven't been very successful. Izuku definitely trauma bonded with Shouta, and that's not going to be easily solved in just a week. 

 

Shouta shares a look with Naomasa. They really should get going.

"Okay Izuku, how about you go sit with Shinso again? We need to head out now." Shouta suggests, praying to whatever deity that is listening for Izuku to go quietly. 

"O-okay. I-I guess I can." Izuku replies. 

He crawls off of Shouta's lap and over to lean against Shinso. Shinso on the other hand, is no longer death glaring Shouta, and seems to approve of the bestowal of the capture weapon. 

It's clear this kid is very protective of Izuku. Which is nice to see. 

Shouta stands up once Izuku is off of his lap. "We'll be back soon Izuku. Behave." 

"Bye Zawa. Be safe!" Izuku chirps back. 

Stephan waves at Shouta from his place in the corner, implying that he has it handled from here. So Shouta takes that as his cue to lead Nao out the door and into the hallway. 

                                                                                                    

---

---

Once out of the room, Shouta and Naomasa asked the nurses if they could use a spare patient room. The nurses didn't really mind all that much and directed them to one that was barely three doors down the hall from Izuku's room. 

Good. They're learning. 

 

Once in the room they settle on one of the beds together, taking time to just exist in each other's space. It's been weeks since they last got to do this, thus they're going to take advantage of it. 

Naomasa lays on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Shouta proceeds to just lay on top of him, which is a common occurrence for the two of them. 

 

"So you ran into some complications this morning." Shouta begins. 

Naomasa sighs, "Yes, I did." 

"Who puts a muzzle on a child?" Shouta muses. 

"Shitty people, that's who. You know, the types we deal with all the time given our profession." Naomasa answers. 

"Logical. I take it you're going to opening an investigation into that?" Shouta asks. 

"I am. As if I don't have enough on my hands as it is." Naomasa replies, "I'm going to have to hand off one or two of my other cases to someone else. Like hell I trust anyone else with Izuku's or Shinso's cases at this point. But at least I have Sansa to help me." 

 

"We need these cases to be done right, Izuku's especially. Everyone is waiting on the results of the Aldera investigation. That's going to be a whole other media storm." Shouta agrees. 

"Speaking of said investigation, we're going through the security footage as quickly as we can. Nedzu is helping with that to speed things up, but even he can only go so fast." Naomasa explains, "That said, we didn't even need all the school's footage to know that Bakugo Katsuki was one of Izuku's main tormentors. You need to decide if you are going to press charges and take him to court. You are Izuku's guardian after all." He reminds Shouta. 

Shouta sighs, "If it were up to just me, the case would already be filed. But I think Izuku gets a say in the matter. He's the one that's suffered for so long." 

"I understand that, but is he in any state to make that kind of decision. We need to take action soon if we are going to at all." Naomasa says. 

"He's unstable, but he's not oblivious. Izuku's a smart kid, I'm willing to bet he's already asked Shinso about what's going on in the news. We haven't brought it up because we don't want him to worry about it, and Izuku probably doesn't want whatever version of the truth he thinks he's going to get from the adults he could ask. So he will ask Shinso." Shouta replies, "I can ask him before you guys leave, that way you will know what needs to be done when you get back to the office. Just let me know what needs signed or filled out by me as his acting guardian." 

Naomasa nods, "You say 'acting', but you have no intention of letting Izuku go to anyone else, do you. You're attached." He points out, nudging his husband playfully. 

Shouta shakes his head, "It would only harm him to separate from him at this juncture. And you have a point, I've gotten attached. But I'm not the only one attached am I?" he accuses. 

"You got me there. I'm not about to let Shinso continue to be a victim of the messed up foster care system. And like you said on the phone earlier, the two boys are already so close, so it works out." Naomasa concedes.

"Then add that to your list of things that need sorted. Foster to adopt paperwork for both boys." Shouta tells him, "We can tell the boys before you leave. That may be the only way to get the two to separate, the promise of getting to see each other again." He points out. 

"You have a point there. I doubt Shinso will go without a fight." Naomasa agrees. 

 

Shouta checks his watch, "We have a bit more time before the hour I told Izuku we'd be gone is up. Why don't you catch me up to speed on whatever else I've missed. That includes the cats." 

Naomasa laughs, "Alright Sho. Let me pull out my phone." 

---

Having been left alone (save for Stephan that is), Izuku and Hitoshi just sit there in silence for a few minutes. 

"Well that was certainly something." Hitoshi declares into the silence of the room. 

Izuku cringes, "Sorry you had to see that." He apologizes. 

Hitoshi shakes his head, "Izu, how many times have I talked you through panic attacks?" 

Izuku hesitates for a moment, "I dunno. A lot." 

"Exactly. It's nothing I haven't already seen. It's fine." Hitoshi assures him. 

"I can't help it." Izuku tells him, "Logically I know I can't be around Zawa all the time. But there's a part of me that instantly panics at the idea of him not being nearby. And right now, when one part of me panics, all of me panics." He tries explaining. 

"I mean, he did save you." Hitoshi points out, "And neither of us are really used to adults actually caring. So that part of you probably doesn't want to risk losing that."

"That makes sense." Izuku agrees. "Still doesn't make this any easier though." 

"You'll figure it out eventually. After all, I'm sure you don't want to be stuck here forever do you?" Hitoshi says. 

Izuku shakes his head, "As nice as it is to be safe from it all, not really no." He pauses, "Speaking of, what's going on in the outside world?" he asks. 

"You- you don't know?" Hitoshi practically demands, "They're not telling you anything are they?"

Izuku gives him a look as best he can from his place against his side, "Toshi, I'm currently in a psyche ward after a violent psychotic break and still in psychosis. No they're not telling me anything, they don't think I need to worry about it probably." Izuku states, "And really, as long as I'm here I really don't need to worry about all that. But that doesn't mean I don't want to know."  

Hitoshi considers for a moment that maybe they have good reason to not be telling Izuku these things. Just because Izuku appears to be stable now doesn't mean he will be later. Perhaps they're trying to protect him from everything else.

Then he remembers that they don't trust adults, nor do they have a reason to trust these ones. Their failures are the whole reason Izuku and Hitoshi ended up in their respective situations in the first place.

 

"Well you had better be ready. Cause I'm about to catch you up to speed. The summarized version though, because there's a lot going on." Hitoshi declares. 

Izuku nods eagerly and Hitoshi can tell Izuku is ready to pick apart everything he's about to say. 

 

"As you'd expect, the media latched onto the incident and covered it. However it seems like they have been given very little information regarding the situation to begin with. No one knows who did it, or what's happening to them. What they did mention was that there's an investigation that's started looking into Aldera school district to see what exactly lead up to the incident." Hitoshi begins explaining. 

"Which means there's about to be a lot of people that are going to get in trouble." Izuku concludes, "Assuming the case is unbiased at least." 

"You don't have to worry about bias I don't think." Hitoshi tells him, "Tsukauchi-san is actually a detective and he's the lead of both your case and the Aldera investigations. And given he's married to the hero who's now your guardian, I would hope he'd make sure this gets done right." 

"That explains how he got clearance to even be here. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't let just anyone come to visit me at this point." Izuku muses. 

"They really do have you locked up here don't they?" Hitoshi comments. 

"I killed people Toshi. They have every right to be cautious around me. I'm dangerous." Izuku argues. 

"Yeah, well, you were abused for years. I'd say you had every right to react the way you did. If they're going to try and punish you, then they had better do so to every other person that hurt you." Hitoshi counters. 

"I'm pretty sure they can't arrest me Toshi. Because technically it was my quirk going out of control that caused the situation to escalate the way it did. So I would be protected under quirk laws." Izuku informs. 

"You're quirk huh? A few news sources had mentioned that this was a quirk incident. What that all about?" Hitoshi asks. 

Izuku, predictably, lights up, "I do have a quirk! He's a sentient quirk that is mostly a voice I hear in my head. His name is Variant." Izuku explains, "But if I'm really in danger, or at least Variant thinks I am, he can take control and help me keep myself safe. He's a really good fighter, considering I have no experience in that regard." 

"That's cool. And how often does he actually take control?" Hitoshi asks. 

"He's only taken control twice. The first time was when he caused the incident, the second was here in the ward." Izuku pauses, and Hitoshi sees his eyes flash a glowing green. 

"He says he wants to talk to you." Izuku states, sounding confused. 

"And how is that going to work?" 

Izuku shrugs, "I guess I just let him take control and see what happens? I've never actually given him control so I don't really know what to expect." Izuku admits. 

"Seems like now is as good a time as any to find out." Hitoshi says, "Go ahead and try it. I'm curious as well." 

"Okay... Here goes I guess..." Izuku replies. 

Then he falls silent and closes his eyes. Hitoshi watches as he seems to slump over on himself, the go ridged all at once. 

 

Then his eyes open, and they glow a bright, toxic viridian. 

"That worked surprisingly well." Izuku says. 

Except this isn't Izuku, Hitoshi can tell just from looking at him. His posture is different, straighter with his shoulders squared. His expression is calculating and his gaze sharp and piercing. The tone of his voice is lower, more confident. 

It's like looking at a different person when their eyes meet. 

So this is Variant. 

 

"It worked then I take it?" Hitoshi asks, only slightly nervous. 

"It did indeed. Quite well actually." Variant replies, "And you are Hitoshi then. It's nice to meet you, you may call me Variant." 

Hitoshi nods, "Nice to meet you too I guess? What exactly do you want from me here?" 

"Oh, that's quite simple really. I want to get my own gauge on the type of person you are. Izuku already trusts you a great deal, but I prefer to form my own opinions. It's necessary to keep Izuku safe." Variant explains. 

"And that's your main goal then? To keep Izuku safe?" Hitoshi asks him. 

Variant nods, "Essentially. Except unlike Izuku, I will do whatever it takes to keep us safe. If that means getting a violent and dirtying my hands, then so be it." He tells Hitoshi. 

"I think you've already made that much clear when you went and attacked Izuku's school and killed people." Hitoshi observes, "But in doing that you got Izuku into a ton of trouble. How is that keeping Izuku safe? Getting him charged with murder and assault?" He demands. 

Variant frowns, "You have to understand, I had no way of knowing there would be such consequences. My knowledge feeds off Izuku's experiences and analysis. And since Izuku has never hurt anyone, nor been punished for it, I had no way of knowing that my actions were wrong." He explains. 

"You don't regret it though do you." Hitoshi says, and its not a question. 

Variant smirks and shakes his head, "Not one bit." He admits, "Just look at where that got us. We've never had this many people actually trying to keep us safe from harm. Even if this safety is hard to get used to. Though some of them are a bit annoying." 

Hitoshi raises an eyebrow, "Annoying how?" 

"For one, Aizawa can stop me from completing my purpose. And that in its self is a problem. Especially when everyone else seems hell bent on keeping me suppressed. It's suffocating I tell you!" Variant exclaims, "Hence why we had to wait until they weren't around to experiment like this. That and I don't really want to be questioned to death once they inevitably get that chance to do so." 

"But what about Stephan? He's still in the room?" Hitoshi points out, hoping he won't come to regret this. 

Said nurse looks up from the manga he was reading at the mention of his name. 

"Stephan is fine. I don't mind him as much and I know he will keep Izuku safe." Variant replies. "When we fought he could have just used force and subdued me and drugged Izuku from the start. But instead he just stalled and even while dragging on the fight, didn't once deal any damaging blows to me. Instead he waited for Eraserhead to arrive and settle the matter more...peacefully." 

"Glad you think so highly of me Variant." Stephan replies. 

Variant turns his glowing gaze to him, "Don't let it go to your head now." 

"I'll try not to. But you do realize I have to report this little stunt you pulled right?" Stephan points out.

"I'm aware. Do try to give me a stellar review won't you?" Variant requests. 

Stephan chuckles, "I'll do my best. Starting with how, for once, you're not trying to kill anyone." 

The look that appears on Variant's face is not one Hitoshi recognizes. 

"This time at least." He says slowly, then his eyes close and he slumps over. 

 

Looks like that's a long as he could keep control this time around. 

Izuku opens his eyes and smiles tiredly at Hitoshi. "Variant likes you." He says. Then he yawns and flops onto Hitoshi. 

"You falling asleep on me Izu?" Hitoshi teases. 

Izuku nods, "Yep. Shhhh." 

---

Izuku would be lying if he said he wasn't watching the clock in his room. Zawa said they'd be gone for about an hour. And while Izuku trusts he's not leaving for good, that doesn't stop him from getting more and more anxious as the hour mark draws nearer. 

"Izu, calm down, he's coming back." Hitoshi says, clearly sensing his growing anxiety. 

"I know I know it's just..." Izuku tries defending. 

Just what? Why is he so worried about Zawa leaving? 

~You need him to help keep us safe.~ Variant tells him. And he may have a point. 

"I get it, but stressing won't solve anything." Hitoshi tells him. 

 

Before Izuku can protest any further, there's a knock at the door. Then it opens. The only person allowed to enter without explicit permission is Zawa. 

Izuku sits up from where he was laying on Hitoshi, some loops of his newly acquired capture weapon falling off his shoulders. Sure enough, Zawa walks through the door, followed by Tsukauchi. 

~See, he came back.~ Variant says. Izuku ignores how smug he sounds.  He was worried too.

"Zawa! You're back." Izuku greets. 

Aizawa chuckles, "Yes, yes I'm back. I said I would be, so it's only logical that I would." 

"You should count yourself lucky Izuku, I haven't Sho be this punctual in a long time." Tsukauchi comments. 

Aizawa gives him a half hearted glare. Tsukauchi just laughs. 

 

The two men make their way over to the bed across from where the boys are sitting and sit down on it. Hitoshi and Izuku work their way into a sitting position as a result. 

"Alright, so we have a few things to discuss with you boys." Tsukauchi tells them. And instantly Izuku is nervous again. 

"It's nothing bad so stop whatever tangent I know you're going on in your head Izuku." Zawa commands him. 

Izuku looks down at, blushing slightly. Well, Zawa's not wrong. 

 

"To start Izuku, I know this is sudden, however we need to talk about legal action. Specifically against Bakugo." Zawa says to him. 

Izuku tenses. Legal action? "Like if I want to press charges?" he asks quietly.

"Exactly that. Seeing as how he was your main tormentor, you have the right to take him to court specifically. If you want to, no one is saying you have to." Tsukauchi informs. 

"What about...the others?" Izuku asks. Bakugo's lackeys were also a problem. 

Both men frown, "They didn't survive Izuku." Aizawa tells him gently. 

They're dead? 

"Oh... Well that's good." Izuku says, "So it's just Kacchan- I mean Bakugo- left to deal with then." He surmises. 

The look shared between Aizawa and Tsukauchi doesn't go unnoticed by him either. He just chooses to ignore it. 

"I think, no, I know that I want to press charges. I'm done protecting him or letting him do what he wants. It's time he suffers for once, opposed to torturing everyone else." Izuku declares. "No one told him no, no one stopped him. The teachers even supported and fed into it. Even still, it's basic human decency to know not to hurt another person. He never learned on his own, so he's going to have to learn the hard way now. And if that's going to cost him his chance a being a hero, so be it." He explains. 

 

Aizawa smirks and Izuku thinks he can hear Stephan laughing quietly in the corner. 

"Well said Izu." Hitoshi praises, "I will admit I was worried you were going to keep defending him like you used to." He admits. 

"That's understandable. But like I said, I'm done protecting him." Izuku replies. 

"Well, that's that settled." Tsukauchi states, sounding exasperated, "Onto our next topic then." 

"Right. I'll be frank, because dancing around it would be illogical," Zawa begins, "Nao and I want to see about adopting you both." 

 

Izuku's whole world freezes. He feels Hitoshi go stiff beside him. 

"You- you what?" Izuku asks, dumbfounded. 

"We want to adopt you both. One, so you don't have to be separated. And two, because we don't trust anyone else to treat you how you deserve. And we care about you boys." Zawa explains further. 

"Does that mean no more muzzle?" Hitoshi questions, disbelieving. 

Tsukauchi frowns, "Yes, we would never even consider putting something so atrocious on you, on a child, or on anyone for that matter." 

"What do you think Izu?" Hitoshi asks him. 

"I want to stay with Zawa. I've never had someone care as much as he does. If this is how, then I say yes." Izuku declares. 

"Welp, if you're in, I'm in." Hitoshi echoes. 

 

Tsukauchi lets out a breath, "That was surprisingly easy." He comments. 

"Did you seriously expect them to say 'no' Nao?" Aizawa demands, "I thought you were the detective here." He teases. 

"That has nothing to do with it!" Tsukauchi protests. 

"Reading people and deductive reasoning is 75% of your job." Shouta reminds him. 

"Then what about the other 25%?" Tsukauchi asks, curious. 

"Paperwork and bullshit protocols." Shouta declares. 

And everyone laughs a that. 

---

After all the serious conversations were out of the way, it's mostly just small talk. That and Izuku dragging Hitoshi down the hall, with adults following, to see Rei again. Which led to Hitoshi being taught how to play Skip-bo. Which led to chaos. 

 

Once their game was over they all headed back to Izuku's room, where Stephan and another nurse appeared with dinner for everyone. No one missed how Izuku watched the nurse's every move, including the poor nurse herself. 

 

Then, it was time for Tsukauchi and Shinso to leave. 

And Izuku was not having it.

 

"Izuku, Shinso has to go now." Aizawa repeats. 

"Nooooo" Izuku whines, now koala bearing onto Hitoshi like he did when his friend first got here. 

Hitoshi doesn't say anything. 

Tsukauchi and Aizawa share a look. Aizawa sighs. "We can arrange for him to come back and see you. It'll be easier now that he's under our care as well." He tries negotiating. 

"Not. Moving." Izuku declares, face still buried in Hitoshi's hoodie. 

"Come on Izu. You know I gotta leave." Hitoshi says to him. 

Izuku just shakes his head, breathing starting to hitch as he gets more upset. 

"We can video call tomorrow okay? But you gotta let me go." Hitoshi then says. 

Izuku sits up and looks at his friend. Hitoshi can see the tears gathering in Izuku's eyes. And it's killing him. 

"Promise?" Izuku asks.

Hitoshi looks briefly to Aizawa, who nods. 

"I promise. And I'll come back and visit you soon. But you gotta stay here and work on getting better so you can come be with me all the time. Can you do that?" Hitoshi asks. 

"I c-can t-try." Izuku agrees, sniffling. 

"Awesome." Hitoshi replies. Then he pulls Izuku into a tight hug and just holds him there for a long moment. 

 

Then they part. 

"Bye Toshi." Izuku calls out as his friend walks to the door. "Be safe." 

"Bye Izu. I will." Hitoshi assures him. 

Izuku keeps waving as Hitoshi walks out the door Stephan is holding open. Aizawa hugs Tsukauchi close and kisses him lightly. "I'll see you soon. Be careful. I love you." He says loud enough only for his husband to hear. 

"I will Sho. I love you see you soon." Tsukauchi replies. "By Izuku." He then says to the greenette who hasn't left his bed. 

Izuku smiles and waves to him too, "Bye Masa!" he says, catching the poor detective off guard. 

Aizawa gives hime a knowing look as he follows Hitoshi out the door, Stephan on his heels. 

 

Then the door closes. And they're gone. 

 

"Zawa?" Izuku says into the silence. 

"Yes Izuku?" Aizawa responds, walking back over to him. 

"I am going to get to leave here right?" he asks. 

Aizawa smiles, "You will. It'll take time however. So just keep working to get better, okay?" 

"Okay." 

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! I'm back!

It's been a long few weeks. Between college and work and video games, I was kinda busy. My last final is May 5th, Cinco de Mayo, then I'm done for the semester. At that point updates should become more regular. And for those who have also read Let The Games Begin, I plan to start that back up as well.

That said, this chapter was hard to write. Usually I write my chapters in pieces. I write different scenes as I'm inspired and piece the chapter together. As you probably noticed, this chapter was all one cohesive scene for the most part. So, inspiration came and went.

Oh, right. So what I call "Having Inspiration" is what having both the will to write and actual ideas to write. Unfortunately you can have one and not the other. It's annoying.

Authors notes usually happen on the spot, or, I take notes... about whats going...into the notes. That sounds obsessive. But hey, you have to be obsessed to write a book. Trust me, I've written 6 of them. And two fanfics. Not the point here.

There you go, three paragraphs about my writing process. You're welcome.

I loved how this chapter turned out though. I loved Variant finally talking to someone besides Izuku. I loved Izuku being a fluffy cuddle demon. I loved writing the forum. I loved all of it.
I refused to rush it because I wanted it to turn out well. And I like to think it did.

So, let me know what YOU think! Comments are awesome and fuel inspiration. You guys have been great so far. And yes, I do read them. Responding is just hard to do sometimes. Anxiety is a bitch.

Thanks!
Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 10: Stability Is All That Seemed To Matter

Summary:

Stability is all that seemed to matter
thus you and I have not spoken
To speak was to let myself shatter
but you already broken
~~

*Insert spoiler free summary here*
That's all I have guys. A real one would ruin things

Notes:

I'm alive!
I survived finals week and Cinco de Mayo. Thus I bring you another chapter.
This one jumps all over the place, so let me know if something doesn't make sense.

And yet again, the feed back, comments, kudos and bookmarks you guys have provided are insane. I seriously appreciate it. It helps with the motivation to write. And just makes me happy that someone besides my self likes to read my writing.
Enjoy guys!

Shouta stares down at the papers sitting on the table. Stephan had excitedly shoved them in his face when he was walking past the nurses station to the spare room they let him use as an office of sorts. 

It took a lot of time, reassurances and trials, tears and panic attacks, but Izuku is finally at the point that he doesn't need Shouta in the room for his sessions with Hound Dog. They haven't really pushed him any farther than that for now, not wanting to set the kid back by pushing him too far out of his comfort zone too soon. However the final step was for Izuku to sleep a night in the room without Shouta; something the hero really wasn't looking forward to.

 

As for the papers; for once, Shouta can understand Stephan's excitement, given the nature of them. 

Discharge paperwork. It was finally time to take Izuku home. 

And damn it, its been an interesting past six weeks. 

 

After Naomasa and Shinso, or well, Hitoshi as he'd asked to be called a week later, after they left the hospital Naomasa took him home to their apartment. Hitoshi is now sleeping in the guest bedroom, which is the only spare bedroom in the apartment. 

Shouta and Nao agreed that they will need to look into getting a new place. Which is going to be chaos. However that's something they can worry about when Izuku is actually allowed to have his own room. For now both boys have said they will gladly share a room. Izuku can't and doesn't want to be alone, and Hitoshi is more than a little protective of Izuku. 

 

Naomasa and Hitoshi were cleared for weekly visits on account of being family. That said, Hitoshi and Izuku have video calls on their phones every night. The two have once again become inseparable. 

 

With Izuku in the hospital still, and the adults agreeing that Hitoshi should be home schooled, Nedzu has seized the opportunity to take over their education. Izuku is a genius kid, the type of genius that should never be left alone with Nedzu. Shouta has hoped that Hitoshi could act as a voice of reason and or deterrent. However the opposite is what ended up happening. While the purple teen is more kept to himself and not on the same genius level as the other two, he revels in chaos just as much. So now they have not one, not two, but three potential Nedzus to look out for. Or fear, take it as you will. They have video calls between the three of them every day to handle school matters. Shouta has no idea where the rat finds time for all this stuff. 

Nedzu makes time to drop by the hospital at least a three times a week to see Izuku in person. Izuku had cried tears of joy when he found out Nedzu had retrieved his analysis notebooks from Inko's apartment. Now the two have started the task of encoding all of the notebooks, something that is better done face to face. 

As for the originals, Nedzu has the current UA support department competing to see who can create the most secure and virtually indestructible safe to keep them in. 

Since Izuku is working on most of his schooling online, Nedzu provided him with a laptop to use. He also insisted on giving one to Hitoshi, despite their insistence that it wasn't necessary. Alas, there is not stopping the rat once he sets his mind to something. 

Izuku acquiring a laptop resulted an interesting development. Rei has offered to teach Izuku programming and hacking when they have the time. Something that Izuku has taken quite a liking to and, according to Rei, is a natural at.  

 

As for Hitoshi, he's been helping Naomasa set up the spare room to house both boys. The first task was beds and other furniture for the two. Hitoshi carried his phone around the department store with Izuku on call as they searched. The two decided on a bunk bed, under the stipulation that Izuku slept on the bottom bunk. Izuku would later tell Shouta that he didn't mind sleeping on the bottom anyway. 

Two dressers were purchased, one for each boy, but only one desk. That was really all there was room for. Izuku helped pick out various decorations for the room. Along the way they stumbled across large beanbag chairs which ended up being acquired as well, one purple and one green. That really was turning into the color scheme for the room. Shouta and Naomasa also decided to grab two more for the home office, already thinking ahead for days when either boy needed to be kept close. 

While Izuku helped pick everything out, Hitoshi was the one tasked with actually deciding where it all went and how the room would be arranged. According to Naomasa, the kid has been taking it very seriously. 

 

During one of Naomasa and Hitoshi's visits to the hospital, the topic of the boys wanting to be heroes came up. And while it has already been decided that the two would be attending UA when high school starts, what courses they would be enrolling in has not been. 

All Izuku really said was that he was still deciding what he wanted to do. And that's fine, he has the present and getting out of the hospital to worry about for now. Schooling and his future can come later.

Hitoshi expressed the fact that he wanted to try for the hero course. Shouta wasn't surprised, but also not exactly prepared for such a declaration. After all, he couldn't help train Hitoshi when he was still staying with Izuku in the hospital. Not that he was about to mention that to either of the boys.   

Which means if they want to help Hitoshi in preparing for UA, Shouta was going to have to call in some help. This, unfortunately, meant that he would have to finally stop ignoring his friends and actually tell them what's going on. Shouta figured he would get Hizashi and maybe Tensei to help train Hitoshi. He plans to train both Izuku and Hitoshi to use a capture weapon, even if Izuku decides not to go into the hero course. 

The actual phone call to Hizashi was character building, however.

---

Shouta reluctantly scrolls through his phone to find Hizashi's contact. In reality he has his friend's phone number memorized, but finding the contact helps put off the impending conversation just a bit longer. 

Sighing, Shouta presses call. Barely two rings in does he get an answer. 

"SHOOOUTA!" comes Hizashi's obnoxious greeting. Shouta had already pulled his phone away from his ear out of habit. 

"Hizashi." He replies. 

"Where have you been man? You like, disappeared off the face of the earth!" Hizashi demands. 

"Its been a little over a month Zashi." Shouta deadpans. 

"Which is a long time considering I usually see you every day." Hizashi responds, "You had me worried. Not to mention lonely. You could have at least texted me." 

And what was he supposed to say? 'I spontaneously acquired a child who is heavily traumatized and responsible for eleven deaths.'? Yeah, no.

"I've been tied up recently Zashi. It's been a busy past few weeks." Shouta settles for instead. 

"Does it have anything to do with Tensei mentioning a child in the hospital?" His friend asks. 

Damn it. Should have known Tensei couldn't keep quiet. 

"Yes. It does." Shouta confirms. 

There's a pause. Shouta pulls his phone away from his ear. 

"WHAAAT? You actually have a kid now? You?" Hizashi shouts. Shouta flares his quirk reflexively in response to the slight quirk use.

"Two of them actually. Which brings us to-" 

"Two of them? How the hell did that happen? Does Naomasa know? Where did you even find them?-"

"Zashi if you would shut up I can tell you." Shouta cuts his friend off after being rudely interrupted. 

"Nao does know. The second kid is actually his doing. His name is Hitoshi and is actually why I'm calling." Shouta explains, "The other is Izuku. He is the one in the hospital still. He trauma bonded with me after I saved him so I've been staying in the hospital with him until he is released and we can take him home. The two boys are already friends and quite close, so it works out." 

"Damn. Sounds like it has been a busy few weeks. How are the listeners adjusting?" Hizashi asks. 

"As well as can be expected. Hitoshi is helping Nao set up the guest room into a bedroom for the two of them. And Izuku...he's doing better. It's slow progress but progress regardless. Both of them have been through some serious shit." Shouta answers. And isn't that an understatement.

"I see. Well, is there anything I can do to help? You or Naomasa?" Hizashi asks. 

"You'd have to ask Nao if he needs any help. As for me, I have a request." Shout tells him. 

"Ask away!" 

"Hitoshi plans on trying for the hero course at UA. He has a non combative quirk so is in some serious need of physical training, both conditioning and fighting. Think you're up to the task?" Shouta asks. 

"Sure! I'd love to help the listener train! Just leave it to me!" Hizashi responds enthusiastically. 

Shouta can't help but smile at his friend's antics. "Great. I'll let Nao know and he will reach out to you to set something up." 

"Works for me. What about you? I can come pay you and Izuku a visit if you'd like?" Hizashi offers. 

Shouta sighs, "That may not be possible Zashi, given where we are staying. We're in Hero's Retreat's psychiatric ward. And we'll be here for a couple more weeks by the looks of it." 

There's another pause. 

"Sho...what happened?"  Hizashi asks softly, previous enthusiasm having all but vanished. 

And Shouta knows he doesn't have to answer. He knows that Zashi is only asking out of concern, not to push any boundaries. However Hizashi is also his best friend, and Shouta is a need of an outlet. 

"You can't go and tell anyone what I'm about to explain, okay Zashi?" Shouta says. 

"You got it Sho. I'm listening." Comes Hizashi's sincere response. 

"Remember when I got pulled out of classes to respond to an emergency?" he starts by asking. 

"I remember. That's the last time I saw you." 

"Well that emergency was actually the Aldera Incident that's been all over the news recently. Hawks of all people also responded to the alert." Shouta continues, "The shooter was still inside the school so someone had to go in and get the kid out. So I volunteered with Hawks as my back up to aid in further evacuation. And it wasn't pretty Zashi." 

Shouta doubts he will ever forget the image of the torn apart classroom, children cowering in fear. The teacher slumped against the chalk board, torso shredded and head with a gaping hole in it. And the child, and Izuku, sitting against the wall, covered in blood while clutching his weapons. He looked equal parts terrifying and terrified, pushed until he snapped, tortured until responding in kind was his only defense. Broken, and in need of being saved.

 "The classroom was in disarray, there were desks overturned and kids hiding behind them. Some of the kids were wounded or unconscious, so it was likely the kid opened fire on the room. The teacher had heavy lacerations to his entire torso and a gaping gunshot wound to his head." Shouta explains, and Hizashi just silently listens.

"Then there was the kid himself. He was huddled in a corner and covered in blood. He was trembling and rocking. He looked terrified Zashi, nothing like how you would expect a malicious attacker appear. Just a scared teenager out of his depth. I knew then that he was a victim too.

"So instead of treating him like a criminal, I treated him as the trauma victim he was, so I sat down across from him and asked him his name. He told me everyone calls him Deku, but his name is Izuku." 

Shouta can hear Hizashi make a surprised sound, "And when I told him my name, he told me my hero name. He recognized me Zashi. The kid knew I was a Eraserhead." 

"That is impressive, especially given the amount of times you're forced to present your hero license." Hizashi agrees. 

"Exactly. And he knew my quirk and everything. The kid is terrifyingly smart. Even Nedzu has taken an interest in him." Shouta adds, "But when we came to the topic of what had happened, about what he had done, do you know what he told me?" 

"What did he say, Sho?" 

"He told me he was 'making the hurting stop'. All that fuss and supposed violence was a kid trying to defend himself the only way his broken mind knew how. I had to trade a small length of my scarf to get him to hand over the gun and the scalpel he had hold of still. And it still has yet to leave the kids neck without what he deems to be a good reason.

"I carried him out of the school and Hawks helped me keep him out of sight as I took him to the ambulance set aside for him. The EMT turned out to be quirkless as well, he even got himself assigned as Izuku personal nurse. And Stephan has been instrumental in Izuku's progress. It was determined that he suffered a violent psychotic break as a result of the abuse. Thus he needed a chaperone. Which of course, I volunteered for." 

"Of course. But what about his parents. Where are they in all this?" Hizashi asks. 

"Naomasa was the one who called and informed his mother. His father isn't in the picture. And his mother, well, she signed away custody in the same conversation. Which means, as the pro hero who rescued him and his chaperone-" 

"Custody went to you, even if temporarily."  Hizashi finished for him, "But I take it you have no intention of letting Izuku go at this point. You've gotten attached just like he did." Hizashi teases. 

"Yes, yes I have." Shouta openly admits, "Nao has already submitted the foster to adopt paperwork, for both boys." 

"That's great Sho! I'm happy for you." Hizashi all but squeals. "But here are the kid's parents in all this?" he asks. 

"Izuku's mother was informed of the situation by Nao, and signed away custody in the same conversation. So we don't have to worry about stripping parental rights or anything." Shouta tells him. 

"What kind of parent would do that? I mean the situation is a bit extreme but.." Hizashi wonders aloud. 

"The kind of parent who has been parenting a quirkless child his whole life, and is out of their depth with what that all entails." Shouta answers. 

There's a brief silence. 

"He's quirkless then? That explains so many things just on it own." Hizashi replies. 

"Unfortunately it does." Shouta agrees, "Izuku has been subject to near constant abuse. And the effects of that show. He forcibly manifested a quirk after all." 

"That sounds like a whole nother issue on its own." Hizashi muses. 

"It's been interesting. The quirk is sentient, something like an alternate personality. Izuku named him, Variant and can hear the voice in his head at all times. Variant can also take control of Izuku should he need to act to keep them safe. It's believed that Variant was really the one responsible for the shooting. We recently discovered he can talk when he takes control. However he refuses to talk to me. He's not very fond of me." Shouta admits. 

Hizashi laughs, "I wouldn't expect him to, given your quirk can temporarily disable him. I imagine most quirks wouldn't like you very much." He teases. 

"It's only logical in that regard. And I have had to use my quirk on Variant a few times already." Shouta tells him. 

"I'm sure that went so well." Hizashi comments, "And don't worry Sho, I won't be telling anyone about this. I realize you really just needed someone to talk to. And Naomasa doesn't really work given he's so close to the case himself." 

"I appreciate it Zashi. Really, I do." Shouta tells him. 

"That's what best friends are for!" Hizashi chirps, "And I can't wait to meet both listeners at some point. I'll get on figuring out a rough training regimen for Hitoshi, okay?" 

"Sounds good Zashi. I will talk to you later." Shouta replies. 

"BYE SHOUTA!" 

Shouta pulls the phone away and instantly hangs up. His friend really is something else.

---

---

Hound Dog had to admit that he was impressed with the progress Izuku was making in their sessions. It was clear that Izuku wanted to improve, he wanted to get better, which was excellent. 

But that by no means make the task a simple one. 

 

It took weeks for Izuku to finally allow Aizawa to be out of the room for their sessions. Which was honestly expected. The boy had certainly trauma bonded to the hero, that much was clear. Now it was getting Izuku comfortable enough to not have Aizawa at his side 24/7. 

It was slow going, but it was progress none the less. 

 

They talked about many things during their sessions. First they went over breathing and grounding techniques. The go to clawing and scratching of his arms simply would not do. 

Then Inui spent time just getting to know what made Izuku, Izuku. The boy is certainly intelligent. He is enthusiastic and curious. Izuku also has little to no self worth or self respect. His years of abuse and being put down have taken their tole in that regard. It's a constant struggle to get Izuku to realize that he is worth just as much as anyone else. And often times, that he is worth saving. Any time he has a relapse or set back he starts to panic and stress over whether or not he's worth their time and worth the effort. It's heartbreaking.

The next thing Inui learned, is rather confusing. It started with a conversation about what Izuku was truly afraid of. And it soon became apparent that Izuku didn't fear any one thing in particular. Yes, he was still hyper focused on whether or not something was 'safe'. However he didn't have a clear definition of what is unsafe.   Izuku would often default to asking Variant if something was safe. Or at the very least, simply state that he Variant would tell him or that he would have to ask the quirk. 

It further supported the theory that Variant was Izuku's self preservation personified. If anything, it was as if Variant was Izuku's very fear given life. Which left Izuku without the capacity to independently defend himself. Any fears or anxieties he has are ill defined. They are simply stated as 'not being safe' and left at that.

They talked about Izuku's past. It often came up in conversation. Izuku was surprisingly willing to talk about it. Both his years of bullying and abuse along with the incident at Aldera. 

And one thing was becoming increasingly clear. Izuku did not regret his, or Variant's, actions. He seemed perfectly content with the fact that a threat to him was finally eliminated. He hasn't explicitly stated that he regrets nothing. No, it's more like his attitude and approach to the topic that is giving that impression. It goes as far as to say that he would just let Variant handle it if he were to be threatened or in danger. Which is concerning, considering how Variant handled it the first time. Eleven deaths and a dozen or so wounded, some critically injured.

There in lies the problem. If Izuku's new method was to default to Variant or let Variant handle it, the technically Izuku was still a danger to others. Because Variant has made it clear he will stop at nothing to keep them safe. 

 

Which brings us to their main issue. Variant. 

The bottom line was that they needed Variant's cooperation before they could safely discharge Izuku. And to secure that, they needed to speak with Variant. Stephan had reported when Variant had taken control of Izuku to speak with Shinso. And it was that specific instance that tells them Variant can speak when he is in control. Which makes Variant more influential then they had initially thought. All the more reason they needed Variant's cooperation.

So Inui and Aizawa were patient. They didn't press to the point of being suffocating, but they asked often enough. Inui would ask once or twice a week during their sessions if Variant was willing to talk. 

And every time the quirk refused them. 

That is until they directly stated that, without determining Variant to not be a threat, Izuku was never going to be released from the hospital. 

A week later, Variant agreed to take control the moment they asked.

---

It was an interesting sight, watching the would be personas switch places voluntarily. When Variant seized control, it was instantaneous, like a flip of a switch. When Izuku gave him control, it was more gradual. 

Izuku's body slumped over where he sat, going limp for but a moment. Then, his entire demeanor changed all together. His shoulders squared, his posture straightened. His eyes, now glowing a vibrant, near toxic viridian, were sharp and calculating. 

This was Variant.    

"Variant." Aizawa greets after giving the persona a moment to get his bearings.

"Eraserhead." Comes the even response. 

This wasn't Izuku's affectionate 'Zawa". No, this was simply a acknowledgement of to whom he was speaking. 

"I'm glad you've decided to speak with us." Aizawa tells him.

Variant's frown deepens, "I can't say the feeling is mutual." 

"I am well aware that you don't like me." Aizawa responds with a slight smirk. 

"Whether or not I like  you has nothing to do with it. I don't trust you." Variant corrects. 

"And why is that?" Eraserhead asks. 

"Because you insist on continuing this charade. It's been weeks and I'm sick of it." Variant snaps. He sits on the bed with his legs now crossed, one eye on them and one eye scanning the room at all times, ever vigilant.  

"And what exactly are you calling a charade?" Hound Dog questions. 

"You continuing to care for Izuku. You're endless help and ceaseless kindness. You're boundless patience and unwavering support." Variant lists out, mainly addressing Aizawa, "That is what I'm sick of." 

So he still thinks this is all an act. 

"You think I'm pretending?" Aizawa asks with a raised eyebrow. 

"You're leading Izuku on. And every day it lasts Izuku trusts you more and more. And I can't stand to watch it. I wish that you'd just get the hard part over with. That way I can start picking up the pieces just like I've always done." Variant declares. And he sounds so sure of himself, as if reciting a universal truth, stating a law of nature. 

"I'm not leading Izuku on Variant. I truly do want to help. We both do." Aizawa tries convincing.

"But you can't! That's not how this works!" Variant exclaims, " Yet you haven't shown any sign of planning to hurt Izuku and I don't understand. Why? Why are you doing this?" Variant demands, voice rising in volume. There is genuine confusion in his tone and words, as if the very thought of it surpasses his understanding.

"Because I care about Izuku. And I want to help you both, I want to help you  get better. You've suffered long enough." Aizawa tells him simply. 

"No! You don't get it! People don't care about us! People aren't just nice for the sake of it. People insult us and beat us and hurt us. They're not helpful or kind. They're not patient or supportive. They're not- not safe. That's just how it is." Variant practically yells. His distress is clear, yet his logic sound in his mind. 

"And why do you think that?" Hound Dog asks. 

"Because that's all that's ever happened. Hell! That's why I even exist. There's not such thing a safe. We are always at risk. And I can't handle not knowing when all this is finally going to come crashing down." Variant answers, desperation in his voice. There's also barely masked fear in his tone, true terror of the unknown. 

"And why has it always been like that? Why were you always at risk?" Aizawa presses. 

He knows the answer. Him and Hound Dog both know the answer. They just need Variant to admit it as well. 

Variant meets Aizawa's even slate eyes with his own manic emeralds."We're quirkless. We're quirkless, useless, worthless Deku." 

"But Variant. Izuku isn't quirkless anymore. He has a quirk. He has you." Hound Dog says firmly. He needs him to understand that. That he isn't in danger, that they mean him no harm.  

 

And Variant goes silent. He stops talking, he stops moving; staring off into nothing as the reality of that sinks in. 

They're not quirkless. They're not quirkless. 

"The reason Izuku was always in danger is something you've already saved him from Variant. Now it's time to figure out how to best to move forward from there. How else you can keep Izuku safe." Aizawa continues, "It's time to let someone else help you with this task. Let us help you with this task. But you have to let us in. We can't do anything without you." He stresses. 

Variant just stares a him. It's clear his very reality has come crashing down around him. And it's oh so painful to witness. 

Tears gather and shimmer in his eyes, his breathing accelerates. His once calm and collected facade shatters. Leaving a terrified child in it's wake. 

 

"Please." Aizawa practically pleads, "Will you let us help you?" 

Variant stiffens, looks down at his clenched fists, and nods. 

With his former resolve broken, the damn breaks. Tears fall from his eyes and drip down onto trembling hands. His shoulders heave as he gasps for breath between sobs. 

Aizawa doesn't hesitate to take him into his arms, and Variant goes willingly. He lets himself bask in the brief safety that the embrace brings. 

---

---

Rei smiles as she waves back to Izuku, who is leaving down the hall with Aizawa at his side. Those two certainly make quite a pair. She has to admit its good to see Aizawa having finally found a child to take in. Rei is well aware of his fondness for children, despite him being in constant denial. 

Izuku certainly is an interesting child. He is very intelligent and clever. He has a sunshine personality as well. And yet, despite this, he has that look in his eyes. The look of someone that has been pushed too far. Who has shattered and since needed to be put back together. It's that same look Rei sees in Touya and the same look she once saw in herself. She understands that there has to be a reason he ended up in a psychiatric ward, but that doesn't make it any easier to stomach. Perhaps, one day, he will tell her about it. 

For now, Rei is content with tutoring the boy, and teaching him everything she knows. After he acquired a computer for schooling she had offered to teach him programming and hacking if he wanted. And, unsurprisingly, he turned out to be a natural at it all. 

What was surprising was Nedzu offering her a computer as well. He had joined Izuku for one of their programming sessions and sat in on the lesson. As expected, he was thrilled at the prospect of Izuku learning both programming and hacking. He couldn't help but notice that only having one computer made the whole teaching process more difficult and offered to supply Rei with a computer as well. All she needed to do was provide him with the tech specifications she would prefer. 

And damn, Nedzu did not disappoint. The laptop she had been given has to be one of the best pieces of tech Rei has ever used. All while being small and easy to hide. 

Shouta had expressed his concerns about Rei getting in trouble for having the computer. Rei was quick to assure him that so long as she stays put, Enji really doesn't care what she does after all these years, and neither do the staff. They've all long since agreed that she doesn't really need to be here any longer, but simply isn't in the position to leave. 

They're not the only ones that realized this. Much to Rei's surprise, or perhaps not, Izuku took notice of this as well. He and Nedzu then proceeded to offer to get her out of this god forsaken place. An offer that, how ever tempting it was, she had to decline. After all there was no guarantee that she would be safe from Enji if she got out. She did tell him that she would be delighted if he keeps visiting her though. Which Izuku promised to do. 

And that's enough for her for now. 

That, and now that she has a computer, she can set to work on hacking into her own accounts and such to get back to hacking and helping the police. Tsukauchi has already offered to start sending her cases. It seems she won't be bored out of her mind any longer. And she has Izuku to thank for it.

---

---

"Today's headline involves the Aldera Shooting that took place last month. As a result of the incident, the police opened an investigation into the school district itself, hoping to get a better understanding of what lead to the incident. 

"The investigation took place of the past couple of weeks. Those working the case included Hawks, who is ranked as the number three hero, some staff from UA Highschool and several top officers and investigators from the local police department. As of now it has mostly concluded and the findings were shocking. 

"Charges have been brought against the school for physical, mental and emotional abuse of minors. The basis for these actions were stated to be a result of extreme quirk discrimination. Not only was the staff misconducting themselves, they also made no effort to intervene in or combat any bullying that took place." 

                                                                                                    

[Transcript from a live interview with Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa, lead on the Aldera cases.]

 

Interviewer: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us detective.

Tsukauchi: It's no problem, I simply wish to clear up any misunderstandings revolving around the two cases. 

 Interviewer: Then lets get started. 

Interviewer: The investigation was reported to have found evidence of abuse as a result of quirk discrimination, is that accurate?

Tsukauchi: That is mostly accurate. The events that took place were appalling to say the least. The school's staff fed a lot of discriminatory rhetoric to the students, resulting in bullying, and some were also complacent in the abuse themselves.

Interviewer: This investigation was the result of the Aldera Shooting that took place last month. Were the student responsible a victim? 

Tsukauchi: It was determined that the student was indeed a long time victim of the abuse taking place at the school. They along with many other kids suffered. 

Interviewer: Yet the cause was said to be a result of a quirk incident, or as many have reported, a quirk manifestation incident to be specific. Can you tell us a little more about that?

Tsukauchi: The cause of the incident was a combination of a psychotic break, as a result of the long running physical and metal abuse, along with largely being a forced quirk manifestation, a result of sustained trauma. Both working in tandem led to the events of the shooting. 

Interviewer: I see. And because it was largely a quirk incident, no criminal charges can be placed on the child responsible.

Tsukauchi: That is correct. And as a victim of endless abuse and trauma this could also be considered an act of self defense, albeit an extreme one. 

Interviewer: There are a lot of people unhappy with the student not receiving any sort of punishment, as I am sure you are aware. Any thoughts on that? 

Tsukauchi: I understand that being the initial reaction. However people need to understand that there was a lot that contributed to this case. The child was a victim first and foremost. What they suffered at the hands of the faculty and their fellow students is unforgivable. While their own actions are by no means condonable, they are, to an extent, understandable and justified in their own way. I simply ask that people try to see all sides of the situation. 

Interviewer: Many are speculating that if this was a quirk manifestation, then the student was originally quirkless. Is this correct?

Tsukauchi: That is correct. The treatment that the quirkless of our society are subject to is not to be taken lightly. One need only look at the statistics of early deaths and suicide rates, along with the unemployment rates, to know that children born quirkless do not have it easy in today's society. 

Tsukauchi: Discrimination, be it against the quirkless or as a result of the nature of one's quirk, is a severe problem our society suffers from. 

Interviewer: I understand. And as a result of the findings of this case, many are calling for similar investigations to be done into other school districts. Do you agree with this? 

Tsukauchi: Both cases have certainly put issues of this nature more firmly on the police and heroes' radars. However a nation wide investigation into school districts is simply not feasible. That said we encourage citizens to report any similar cases and we intend to look into them with due haste. 

Interviewer: That makes sense. And it looks like we are out of time for tonight. Thank you detective. 

Tsukauchi: Yes, thank you.

---

---

Keigo taps his foot on the floor as he stares a the slowly rising floor counter in the elevator. Given his destination is on the top floor, he could have just as easily landed on the roof and walked down one flight of stairs. But no, rules are rules after all, even if they're stupid ass ones. 

Keigo sighs. Be that as it may, he will gladly take an elevator ride three times a week over going back to living in the Commission's provided housing. He would do whatever it takes to stay out of that place. 

The elevator comes to a stop despite being only halfway up. The doors open with a ding to reveal three office workers with briefcases. They take one look at him and apologize quickly, 'assuring' him they will just take the next one. Typical, pretty much everyone in the building tries to avoid him as much as possible while attempting to avoid being obvious about it. They're terrible at it and really just make it all the more apparent, but it's the thought that counts Keigo supposes. Not that he can blame them. If he were in their position, he wouldn't want anything to do with the Commission's pet project either. 

Today is Thursday. Keigo usually has a meeting with the commission agents assigned to him on Mondays, Wednesdays and sometimes Fridays. So being summoned to the tower on an off day means he's not going to like what this is about. Well, at least more so than usual.  

Keigo is pretty sure he knows what this is about. He's been working with Nedzu and Tsukauchi for the past few weeks on the Aldera Shooting case and the Aldera School District investigations. Between his status as the number three hero and Nedzu's status as...well... Nedzu they've managed to streamline and speed up both cases significantly. The case has progressed far enough that they were able to make a statement about it to the press, something Nedzu insisted they needed to do. Nedzu also insisted on reporting that Hawks was involved. Which is precisely what Keigo thinks this meeting is about. 

 

The elevator dings again as it arrives on the top floor. Keigo slowly makes his way down the hall, by no means in any hurry to get to his destination. It does not go unnoticed that the few people that are in the halls make sure to stay clear out of his way. 

Arriving at the door, Keigo knocks a few times before entering of his own accord. Inside are the two commission agents that often handle his directives and his...handler. It's thanks to Erin and Stephan that he ever realized the clear issue with the title, along with, well, everything else about this arrangement. 

He doesn't know the names of the commission agents and doesn't care to. As for his handler, he just got a new one and hasn't bothered to remember it either. Call him rude, but it's the least he can do given the hell they've put him through.

 

"Ah, Hawks, you're here." The woman greets. 

Keigo has to bite his tongue to resist snapping out something about being here unwillingly. 

"We'll make this quick." The older man begins, "It has come to our attention that there is a case of which your involvement was not made known to us. We speak of the Aldera cases, to be specific." 

Unbeknownst to them, they do need to be specific. This is far from the only case he is involved with behind their backs. Keigo plans to keep it that way for as long as he can. 

"What about them?" Keigo settles for asking. He can sense his handler glaring at him, but ignores the feeling. 

"First off, why are you even involved with them?" the woman asks. 

"I was in the area when the initial alert came through, so I decided to go check it out. Call it cliche but there's nothing that says heroic like saving children." He tells them, playing into their obsessive focus on publicity.

"I do see the potential in there being a lot of attention coming from it, when you put it that way. However since the original incident, the press coverage has become less than desirable." The woman follows up.

No shit, it's a school shooting. 

"Even so, what about the following investigation into the school district itself? Why are you also involved in that case?" The man demands. 

Keigo knows better than to say he volunteered, which is the truth. Better to say he was asked, and just for the hell of it... "I was asked to join the case, by Nedzu. Who's involvement I'm sure you are also aware of. I thought it best to agree to his request than try to explain why I was refusing." Keigo tries justifying. 

He is well aware of their hatred for Nedzu and UA as a whole. One of the many reasons he is fond of the rat. 

"I see. Well as it was stated before, the press coverage has gotten somewhat controversial. We want you to pull out of the case before you get dragged any deeper into this mess." The woman orders. 

Like. Hell. "Is that an order sir?" Keigo asks, keeping his tone even. 

"That is an order Hawks. You have until Wednesday of next week to do so." The man answers. 

Well shit. 

 

"Is that all sirs?" Keigo asks. 

"That is everything. Report to your handler when you have completed the task. Dismissed." 

Keigo doesn't need told twice to quickly make his exit. 

---

Keigo has barely managed to fly a mile away from the HPSC's tower before he hears what sounds like a scuffle. Looking down he sees what looks to be a mugging taking place. 

Keigo lands on one of the nearby fire escapes in time to see another figure step into the alleyway. A wanna be good Samaritan? 

"Hey!" a female voice calls out (and what the hell do they think they're doing), "What's going on here?" they demand, walking closer. 

Oh. Keigo knows what's going on here. It's been a long time since he's seen her in action.

The culprit looks up from here he's got a smaller man pinned against a wall. "Just settling a disagreement with my buddy here. Right?" the man insists of his victim. 

Keigo can't help the smirk on his face as he watches the mugger's eyes cloud over and his arms drop to his sides like their strings had been cut. 

"Sure you were. I know a mugging when I see one. Hands behind your back and kneel on the ground." the young woman orders. 

Silently the mugger puts his hands stiffly behind his back and drops to the ground. The woman pulls zip-ties from their backpack and makes quick work of strapping the guy to a nearby dumpster. Keigo chuckles, this never gets old. 

"Are you okay? Did he injure you at all?" She asks the victim.  

The young man shakes his head. 

"That's great. You can stay to give your statement if you want. Otherwise you're free to go." She tells him. 

"Th-Thank you. Thanks for your help, um..." The guy trails off. 

"Truth. You can call me Truth. That's my hero name at least." She tells him. 

"Thank you Truth. I'll be on my way now, I need to get to work." He thanks her. 

Truth smiles, "My pleasure, try to have a better day okay?" she replies. 

With a nod the kid runs off. 

 

Keigo hears her sigh, "Seriously, don't these guys know lying to a pro hero is also a punishable offense?" she mutters to herself, raising her phone to her ear. 

Keigo uses her making a call as his chance to drop down into the alleyway near her. "If they do know I doubt they really care." He comments. 

Truth spins and looks at him, causing her brown braid to whip through the air. "You have a point. It's not like I really look like a pro hero anyway." 

"At least not a daytime hero, that's for sure." Keigo agrees. 

Truth walks over to him, "How have you been Kei?" she asks him with a warm smile.

"I've been okay. How bout you Erin?" he replies.

Erin sighs, "I've been better. Steve is hardly ever home these days. And while I understand the need for what he's doing, I miss having him home." She admits. 

"I'm sure he misses being home. You know how he is." Keigo assures her, "Now what are you doing in uniform in broad daylight?" he can't help but ask. 

Erin grins, "That's like asking why you fly most places." 

"Um... I have somewhere to be?" Keigo questions. 

"Exactly!" Erin chirps. 

Keigo face palms, "What would you have done if I said 'because I'm lazy'?" he counters. 

"Snagged you in a lie and made you regret it. There's nothing lazy about you Kei, as much as you pretend to be." Erin replies easily. 

It's a good thing he didn't lie to her then. The last thing he needs is her making him do something stupid because he lied to her. 

That is how her quirk works after all. When she asks someone a question, she can tell if they're lying. If they do lie to her, she can then take control of them, and give them commands to follow. While effective for underground hero work, it's chaosvwhen being friends with her. 

 

"My turn! What are you doing out this way on a Thursday? I thought you only see the tyrants on Mondays and Wednesdays?" Erin questions. 

"You are the only hero I know other than Eraser that so openly slanders the Commission, Erin." Keigo tells her, "And they called me in to tell me they want me off the Aldera cases, by next week apparently." He answers. 

 

The police show up at the end of the alleyway suddenly. "Oh, Hawks, did you call this in?" the officer asks while is colleague starts cuffing and unbinding the mugger. 

"Think again boys, it was me." Erin replies, "Which, heads up, I'm releasing him from my quirk. He's about to regain consciousness." She then warns them. 

With a blink, her glowing indigo eyes return to their usual piercing brown. And sure enough, the mugger regains awareness and is very confused. He starts thrashing in the one officer's hold as he's lead to the police car.

"That's unregistered quirk use young lady." The other officer snaps. 

Erin sighs and pulls something out of her lanyard pouch. She then proceeds to shove the card in his face, "I'm a licensed pro hero. I was well within my bounds to use my quirk to stop the mugging, thank you. I spend all night settling things like this. While all you daylights are sleeping, I'm handling the dirty crime. You're welcome." She snaps. 

"Oh-oh. You're Truth-san then. My apologies. We'll just be taking him in now. Good day." The man replies with an instant change in attitude. He bows and hurries after his colleague. 

Erin sighs and puts her license away. As for the reaction, she has something of a reputation among local law enforcement and police. Given her ability to tell lies and her spit fire attitude, there's no shortage of incidents or just gossip in general. 

 

"Now then, where were we? Right, the Commission is trying to strong arm you into pulling out of the Aldera cases. Which, is typical of them I suppose." Erin admits, "But the solution is a rather simple one isn't it." 

Keigo gives her a confused look, "It is?" 

Erin rolls her eyes, "Yes. It is." She repeats, "All you really need to do is go tell Nedzu-sensei. Problem solved!" she exclaims. 

"W-what?" Keigo sputters, "I can't just do that!" 

Erin puts her hand on her hip, "Sure you can. Nedzu-sensei has been waiting to solve your little Commission problem since I introduced you guys in our third year. All you need to do is ask and you're free." She explains. 

"I-I guess." Keigo mutters. 

"Luckily for you, I was on my way for tea. So you can just come with me and the two of us will get you sorted." Erin declares. "Assuming you don't have plans that is?" she asks, looks at him over her glasses. 

Like Keigo would dare say no. "Nope. Lead the way!" he replies. 

"Excellent. We can catch up on the way." Erin replies, "So, we can either take the train, or you can fly us there." She says. 

"You just want to fly." Keigo calls her out. 

"We can take the train at five o'clock if you really want to Kei." She teases, feinting  ignorance. 

"Nope." He replies, crouching down, "Hop on and we'll be off."  

Erin easily climbs onto his shoulders. Keigo then stands and takes to the air. 

---

Keigo remembers when he first met Erin. 

He had already been taken into the Commission's care at that point. They were both about ten years old. 

Erin's parents were international heroes, and they had a meeting with the Commissioner and his lackeys. However they insisted on bringing their daughter along with them. Something about safety while being in a new country. 

No body dared question them. 

Instead, Erin was lead to the gym where Keigo was practicing his obstacle course. She was the first kid his age he had seen in year. Keigo will openly admit he took a moment to stare at her. 

Erin wasn't shy in the slightest. She just walked right past Keigo's handler at the time, who was one of the scarier and rougher of the ones he's had, and introduced herself to him. Then she asked if she could run the course with him. 

The said, the course was specifically designed so that Keigo would need to be able to maneuver while flying. Navigating the course without the ability to fly at all should have been near impossible. 

Despite this, Erin kept pace with Keigo for the most part. And it was spectacular to watch. 

 

They trained together several times while Erin and her parents were staying Japan. Keigo was happy to say he had made a friend. 

Then, Erin's parents never came back from their mission. 

Erin was devastated. Keigo remembers holding her while she cried for hours. He had snuck into her room that night when she didn't show up for training for the first time since they had met. And it wasn't a pretty sight. 

Keigo learned her parents weren't the only ones she's lost because they were in the line of duty. 

 

The bigger concern became what was going to happen to her, now that he last remaining relatives were gone. Keigo feared the Commission would 'take her in' like they had done with him. That wasn't a life he would wish on anyone. 

Then, none other than Nedzu showed up. With him he had a letter from Erin's parents, leaving her in his custody should anything happen to them. 

So, unlike him, Erin was saved. 

Erin went to live at UA with Nedzu, while Keigo was stuck as the Commission's pet. But that didn't stop them from meeting up when they could as the years went on. Having her around made things easier on him. Keigo will forever cherish their friendship. 

---

---

"Damn Giran, I thought you said this place wasn't far!" 

"Well I lied to get you to agree to come." 

"You bastard." 

"Surprised Bow?" 

"Not in the slightest." 

 

Two men are making their way through the back streets and alleys of Kamino Ward. Giran, middle aged, dressed in a purplish grey suit, wearing glasses, a fluffy pink scarf and smoking a cigarette. And there's Bow, far younger, who has on grey cargo pants tucked into black combat boots. He wears a slim cut, zipped up, dark purple jacket with the hood up, and a black cloth eye-mask that both serve to hide most of his features. He has leather gloves on both hands, however the left one doesn't cover the middle three fingers on his hand.  On his back, a strap wrapping over a shoulder and under an arm to secure at his lower chest, is a holster with a quiver of arrows and a collapsed compound bow. 

 

As they walk, the younger is scanning their surroundings for anything that could remotely be considered a threat, while the other just waltzes down the street. 

Finally, they stop at a bar. Or at least Bow thinks it's a bar, there's no sign giving the building any sort of identity. 

"This the place?" Bow asks, "Looks kinda shady. Then again, the entire ward does to be fair." 

Giran huffs a laugh, "How about you stop admiring the scenery and get inside. He's not really the patient sort of person." 

 

Once inside, Bow can see a person(?) made of purple mist, dressed in formal wear. And sitting at the bar with a handheld game console is a young man with blue, nearly white, hair. He has a disembodied hand on his face which Bow can really only tolerate given his day job. How this guy can even see to play his game is beyond Bow.

So this is the guy that wants information. Bow really shouldn't be surprised. 

 

"You're late." Comes a slightly raspy greeting. 

Seriously? "I'm sorry if I got held up at my real job." Bow retorts back, "Do keep in mind, you called me here. I'm doing  you a favor by agreeing to meet with you Tomura." 

This has the guy looking up from his game. He stares Bow down from behind the hand on his face as he speaks, "Don't go getting all cocky just because Sensei likes you." He snaps. 

"I would never dream of it. Now can we get on with this please? Some of us have other responsibilities you know." Bow replies. 

As expected, Tomura snarls and lunges from his seat at Bow, hand outstretched. Bow doesn't even flinch as a purple portal appears directly in the hand's path, forcing it to pass through it and appear harmlessly in the air across the room. 

"Calm yourself Shigaraki, remember the reason for the meeting." The man behind the bar chides, "And Bow-san, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop antagonizing him." 

Bow sighs, "Of course, apologies Kurogiri." He concedes, then turns to Tomura, "What do you want to know Tomura?" he asks. 

"I want to know about the kid from the Aldera shooting. Sensei says you work in the same hospital ward." Tomura tells him. 

That's what this is about? Seriously? 

"What do you want to know?" Bow asks. 

"He manifested a quirk right?" Bow nods, "Is his quirk powerful?" 

"I think it has the potential to be. The quirk is in its beginning stages right now. It's not developed to its full potential yet. And the heroes are being very careful about how much they let it develop. Its kinda frustrating." Bow admits. 

"What kind of quirk is it?" Tomura asks, intrigued. 

"Its actually a sentient quirk. It's soul purpose is to keep the kid safe, to use his own words. However it seems to have a high combat potential. When I ended up fighting him when the quirk was acting up, he seemed to be able to copy my movements, because I know for a fact that kid couldn't do a backflip beforehand." Bow explains. "Why? Are you thinking of trying to recruit him?" 

Tomura nods, "He's a vicim of this disgusting society. And if his quirk is powerful he would be a great help." 

"Then you're going to have to convince the kid and his quirk to help you." Bow tells him, "But I think that with a bit of persuasion and a nudge or two in the right direction, you may just be able to." He admits. "Fair warning, the kid is a hero fanboy. He does hate All Might however. You two have that much in common." 

Bow can see the edges of a grin around the hand on Tomura's face, "Awesome. He can be my player two." He exclaims. "What about you? Will you help us?" he then asks. 

Bow is silent for a moment. "I suppose. Nothing too crazy though. I work a bit too closely with heroes to risk doing too much. But I can provide information, maybe give the kid a nudge in the right direction." He agrees. 

"Great. I'll have Giran come find you if we need anything from you." Tomura tells him, sounding far too pleased. 

"Works for me. Just remember I have a day job." Bow reminds him. "Can I go now?" he asks. 

"I guess. That's all I wanted. See you later Steve." Tomura says. 

"Bye Tomura." Bow replies, "And Giran, you get to show my the way back. Come on." He commands. 

Giran sighs, "Fine. Lets go." 

 

Once outside and walking down the street, Giran speaks up, "So why are you helping them. You didn't strike me as the type to support villainy." He asks. 

Bow sighs, stoping to look up at the night sky. "I didn't used to be. However I want this society to change, and I'm tired of waiting for it to be done legally." 

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

This chapter was insane to write. We are pretty much moving on to the next story arch of this fic. Which meant I first needed an idea of what all that would entail. Which took longer than expected.
But before that, I had a massive cram session and finals week. Then a very long 4 days of serving tables at work which was insanely busy.
But I survived. Sorta.

What did you guys think of this chapter? There was a lot that was covered I know. My favorite part was Variant finally speaking to Aizawa and Ryo. I worked really hard on that scene and love how it turned out.
It was important to me to get it just right, because it was the turning point for Variant. The time had come for him to accept that they aren't in constant danger anylonger and that he needed to move forward. I hope I did it justice.

Next, lets talk about the last scene. STEPHAN.
I gotta know what you guys think about that. Were you surprised? Upset? Or did you already predict it. That and were do you think it's going to go from here? I look forward to the comments!

Next chapter will probably be Izuku's discharge and the events surrounding it. Along with us revisiting Bakugo. I have plans for him, and they aren't very nice.

Speaking of next chapters, update schedule. I'm trying to keep as close to biweekly as I can. I work 5 days a week and have two fics I'm writing, so your patience is appreciated. That said the chapters will mostly be just as long, so there's still plenty of material coming per update.
I've been writing books and then fan fics for 12 years guys, and I've come to learn that forcing content never ends well. So I'm sticking to that philosophy because it hasn't failed me. I take pride in my writing and refuse to give you anything but my best. I hope you can appreciate that.

Well, thus concludes another author's note ramble. Let me know what you guys think! Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me this far! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 11: Chaos Consumes Your Fate

Summary:

I couldn't get any air,
chaos consumes your fate
Overwhelmed by my own despair,
and your quickening heart rate

~~
Time for Izuku to go home!
Well, almost. There's a few things that need to happen before that.

Notes:

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

I'm here I'm here.
I've effectively died several times since you last saw me so have mercy on me.

That being said, this chapter is extra long, so I hope that makes up for it some? I dunno.

Enjoy!

(So I just realized I used the same stanza for the chapter summaries twice. Oops!)

EDIT: New art added to chapter! Thanks @PlantahDraws

"I'm scared Zawa." Izuku says softly. 

Shouta sighs from his place on the bed beside Izuku, "You'll be fine Izuku. I'm right down the hall and there's nothing here that's going to hurt you anyway." He tries assuring.

"But you're leaving." Izuku stresses, starting up the same conversation they've had for the past three days since the plan was originally made. 

 

Hound Dog decided that there was one last obstacle in the way before Izuku could be discharged. Up until now, Izuku still slept in the same room as Shouta. They had finally reached the point that Shouta could sleep in his own bed at least. Although that didn't mean that there weren't quite a few mornings that he woke up to Izuku curled into his side regardless. 

That said, in order to be discharged, Hound Dog wants Izuku to be able to sleep in the room without Shouta. Obviously having him sleep with Shouta every night simply isn't feasible. That kind of dependency is unhealthy for the long term, and Izuku needs to take that step in regaining his independence. 

The result of this declaration was Izuku having a panic attack, one of the worst ones he's had in weeks. After calming him down he was once again glued to Shouta's side. Then, over the course of the next few days, Izuku has constantly brought up the topic and made his opinions and worries about it known. And every time they have this conversation, Shouta has to once again ease Izuku's fears before he works himself up again. 

Shouta is beginning to wonder if Izuku is even going to be able to survive the night without him. 

"Izuku, we've been over this, you'll be fine. The door will be locked and there will be a camera set up for me to see if anything goes wrong. Which it won't," Shouta stresses, "You've made great progress over the past few weeks. I know you can do this. You've been fine having me leave you with Hound Dog or Stephan for a while now." 

"Yeah, but I at least had someone with me. Now I'm going to be all alone with no one to keep me safe." Izuku argues, hand coming up to mess with his feeding tube.  

Shouta grabs his hand and gives him a chiding look,"You have Variant to help keep you safe, remember?" Shouta reminds him.

Variant glares at him, "I can't fight off the unknown Eraser. Nor can a kick loneliness in the face. That's not how this works." He argues, having taken control. 

The sudden change doesn't even faze Shouta at this point. "You don't know that something is going to go wrong, Variant. Nothing is going to happen." 

"Maybe not now. But if you leave us alone this time then you'll do it again. And then something will happen when we're not here. There's always a danger, there's always a threat." Variant argues. 

That was something they had come to realize about Variant. He was hyper vigilant to an extreme. Variant was always focused on the next danger or the next potential source of harm. To Variant there was no such thing as them being safe. And it is quickly becoming a problem. 

"You're working yourself up again kid, you need to breathe." Shouta tells him. 

Variant hesitates before speaking up again. The glowing green of his eyes flickers out suddenly. 

"Sorry Zawa." Izuku mumbles. 

Shouta smiles softly, "It's fine Izuku. It's okay to be scared, but you can't let it control you." He says. "If you can do this you'll get to leave finally. You'll get to go home with me and see Hitoshi and Naomasa more than once a week. You will get to see your room that Hitoshi has been talking about for weeks. Aren't you excited? Doesn't that make this worth a try?" Shouta asks him. 

"I-I guess so." Izuku stutters out, "And you'll be close by if something happens?" he asks. 

Shouta nods, "I'll be right down the hall. I promise. Can you be brave for me tonight?" 

Izuku meets Shouta's eyes, "I can try." He answers. 

"That's all I can ask of you Izuku." Shouta replies, smiling down at him. 

Izuku gives him a beaming smile back. Then he presses closer into the hero's side and snuggles into him. 

"That just means I have to get my cuddles now then." Izuku declares, a light blush on his cheeks. 

Shouta just chuckles and puts an arm around the kid, his kid. 

---

Shouta sighs heavily. It's currently 9pm and Izuku is refusing to let go of Shouta. 

"Izuku, you know I have to go, please don't make this any harder." He pleads. 

Izuku just shakes his head silently, face kept pressed into Shouta's stomach. 

Shouta helplessly looks over to Inui who stands waiting in the doorway of their shared room. The hero and doctor plans to be present to monitor Izuku while he is alone tonight. This is a big step after all. He needs to see for himself exactly how Izuku reacts to all of this.

 

"Izuku-kun you need to let Aizawa go. If you can't then we will have to try again next week, which will push back when you get to go home." Inui tells him, reluctantly playing the bad guy. 

"I'll be in the hallway most of the night, I promise to make sure everything is safe from out there okay?" Stephan offers from his place beside the hound hero. 

Izuku lifts his head and looks from them and back to Shouta. Shouta can see the unshed tears in the kid's eyes and feel his quickening breathing. It breaks his heart, but this has to be done to see Izuku discharged. 

"You wanna see Hitoshi right?" Shouta asks. 

Izuku finally releases him with a shake nod. "It's only one night right?" Izuku questions. 

Well, for now at least. Shouta knows that his will have to happen again in the future. But for now, it's best not to have Izuku worrying too much about that. The plan is that having Hitoshi sleeping in the same room as Izuku when they're at home will help curb some his anxiety. That and will help monitor Izuku when the adults can't be present.

"Just for tonight Izuku. But you gotta let me go now." Shouta answers. "Where's your big scarf? It's around here somewhere right?" he asks, trying to change the focus of the conversation. 

Izuku looks around then opens the drawer of the bedside table with a shaky hand. He pulls out the spare scarf Shouta had given him and puts the smaller, original strip into the drawer in it's place for safe keeping. 

Shouta smiles as he takes the scarf when its held out to him. Izuku seems to take more comfort in Shouta being the one to but the scarf on him then doing it himself. So that's what Shouta does, he gently places the scarf over the kid's head and watches as he seems to relax as it's weight settles on his shoulders. Immediately, trembling, scarred hands are buried into the fabric.

"There we go. You okay now?" Shouta asks him. 

Izuku hesitates, then nods. "Can- can I have a hug before you leave?" Izuku asks in a near inaudible tone. 

"Of course." 

Shouta pulls the kid close and holds him tightly for a few long moments. Then he releases Izuku. 

"Do you want me to tuck you in before I leave?" he asks. 

Izuku nods, then moves to crawl across the bed to lay down. Once he's settled, Shouta stands up and pulls the blankets over Izuku. He ruffles the kids hair then, after a moment of hesitation, places a brief kiss on the crown of Izuku's head. 

Izuku makes a pleased noise at the action, wiggling to settle further under the covers. 

"I'll see you in the morning, okay Izuku?" Shouta says, standing back up. 

Izuku nods. "Okay. Be safe. Love you." He says sleepily. 

Shouta is quite proud that he only pauses in shock for a brief moment. "Love you too kid." 

Then, with reluctance, Shouta turns and leaves, turning off the light before he closes the door.

 

When he turns around, Stephan is grinning at him like a mad man. So, he heard that little exchange then did he? 

"You, Eraser, are such a dad right now, it's painful." Stephan declares with a vicious grin. 

Shouta promptly smacks the blond upside the head before leading the way down the hall.  

---

Izuku stares at the ceiling, too scared to even move. There's a night light plugged into the wall in the far corner, it gives off the faintest of glows to light up the room. Izuku didn't think he really needed it, he likes the darkness, it's calming. But they had insisted it be plugged in, so he didn't bother to put up much of a fight. It probably has something to do with the baby monitor-esque camera that it mounted to the ceiling in the corner above it. 

The room is eerily silent, only the sound of his breathing and heart beat can be heard filling the space. What now? He's supposed to sleep right? 

~Sleeping will leave us vulnerable~ Variant speaks up. 

Right, at least he has Variant to keep him company.

"But we can't just lay awake all night. I don't think that would count as having handled this very well." Izuku argues. 

~Are you implying that you will be able to sleep Izuku?~ Variant counters. 

Izuku frowns, "Well... No probably not. Anxiety has me wide awake." 

~Exactly. We have to be ready for when something happens.~

"Variant, there's no guarantee that anything will happen." Izuku argues. 

~There is always something to fear Izuku.~ Variant insists. 

"Then tell me what I'm supposed to be afraid of here! Because all I see is an empty room! We're all alone!" Izuku practically shouts. 

 

Then a bolt of pain shoots through Izuku's head. It's a sudden, sharp pain. It's behind his eyes and through his temples. And it hurts. Izuku sits up and clutches at his head with his hands. 

~What's happening? What's wrong? What is this?~ Variant demands, sounding panicked. 

"I- I don't know." Izuku responds. 

The pain increases and Izuku whines, hitting his head a few times with his hand in a futile effort to make the pain stop. Soon enough, edges of his vision are starting to go blurry and dark. Maybe he'll close his eyes. Just for a moment. 

---

When Izuku next opens his eyes, he's in a room he doesn't recognize. 

Where is he? What's going on? How did he get out of the hospital?  

Questions aside, his head doesn't hurt any more. 

Izuku rubs at his eyes with the back of his hand. In doing so, he discovers that his clothes have changed from the pajamas he was wearing. Instead he is wearing a green t-shirt and dark jeans. The shirt is one of his graphic tees, this one with the word "Flannel" printed onto it in black. He's also wearing his usual red sneakers, ones he didn't realize he missed wearing until now. 

 

"Welcome to the mindscape." A familiar voice greets, making Izuku jump. 

Izuku looks around the room, eyes stopping on a figure leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Said figure looks like him, same wild green curls, same bright green eyes. Except his posture is different, his demeanor more serious. His eyes have a sharp glint to them that Izuku has never seen in his own. His hair is pinned back out of his face. He wears a black dress shirt with a dark green buttoned vest and red tie. His pants are a dark grey and he has deep red combat boots on his feet.

"Thanks?" Izuku replies, confused. 

"I sure hope you at least recognize my voice," his would be double comments. 

And with a bit more thought, Izuku does. 

"Variant? Is that you?" he questions. 

Variant grins manically, "That's right. This is the first time we've met face to face." He confirms, "Welcome to where I'm stuck spending my time while you have control." 

Izuku looks around the room. 

The room is rather simple and open. In the middle of the grey carpeted floor is a square multicolored shaggy rug that looks incredibly soft. The walls are mostly bare and are painted a few different colors, giving off a watercolor effect.  Against the back two walls is a wrap around denim couch with a few random throw pillows and blankets on it. In another corner there are a few bean bag chairs, one blue, one green and one red.  

Izuku notices that there are door frames in different places around the four walls of the room. Two of them have closed doors, one labeled 'Izuku' and the other 'Variant'. It makes him wonder what is on the other side of said doors.  The remaining doorways are actually just the trim that you would find outlining a doorway. There's no actual doors, just a wall where the opening should be. 

"I see it, but where exactly are we?" Izuku asks. 

"I told you, the mindscape. Think of it as inside your head. I'm surprised you don't recognize it from when I take control." Variant answers. 

"I'm usually too focused on whatever the hell you're doing to look around." Izuku retorts. 

Variant snorts incredulously, "That's fair." 

"So how exactly are we both here? Doesn't one of us need to be...you know... In control?" Izuku questions. 

"No one is fronting actually. So to anyone else it just looks like we're staring into space." Variant tells him. 

"So I literally inside my own head while still being conscious?" Izuku asks. 

"That's correct. Think of it like getting lost in thought," Variant confirms, "I think this newly acquired skill is a result of the predicament we are in. And the sudden headache probably has something to do with it as well. Up until this point, talking via thoughts was enough for us to be able to solve problems. But now..." 

"We are all alone in a room without Zawa and freaking out." Izuku finishes. 

Variant sighs, shoulders slumping, "Pretty much, yeah." 

"So what are we gonna do?" Izuku asks, "You're the one who keeps us safe." 

"That's when I actually have something to fight off. Right now we can't even seem to agree on what is threatening us." Variant replies. 

"Or if anything is a threat to begin with." Izuku adds. 

"Bottom line is, we need help. And there's no one around to give it to us." Variant declares. 

 

Knock knock knock. 

Both boys instantly face the door. 

"Someone's out there?" Izuku asks. 

"Is that even possible?" Variant replies. 

"Um...I guess I'll go find out." Izuku tells him, taking a step toward the door. 

Variant grabs his arm. "Not so fast." He protests, "I'll go. I'm the protector here." 

Izuku regards him for a moment, then nods, "Okay, I'll just stay behind you then." 

Variant leads the way over to the door. Then, he slowly pulls it open. 

 

Standing in the doorway, with nothing but darkness behind them, is another figure that looks just like Izuku and Variant. He's wearing a teal t-shirt with the word "Uniform" printed in black on it. He also has on black jeans and familiar red high tops. His hair has an undercut and his hands are shoved into his pockets.

"Are you going to let me in? Or just stare at me?" an even voice asks. 

"Who are you?" Izuku demands from his place behind Variant. This earns him a glare from the other. 

"My name is Chance, and I'm here to help you." The newcomer answers. 

"I'm not even going to ask where you came from." Variant replies. 

Chance smirks, "That's good, because I honestly couldn't tell you." He admits, "Now, can I come in?" he asks again. 

Izuku makes an executive decision and drags Variant out of the way by the arm. 

"Hey! What gives!" Variant squawks as he stumbles backwards. 

"You're being rude." Izuku tells him. 

"I am being cautious." Variant counters. 

Izuku rolls his eyes. "Just let him in, he's clearly one of us." 

None of them bother to acknowledge what 'one of us' even means. 

"I promise I mean you no harm. I really am just here to help. I'm here to solve your inability to identify threats. Or something like that." Chance explains as he walks into the center of the room. 

Izuku and Variant exchange glances. 

 Chance sighs, "Look. We needed help, and that's why I am here. Just like when Variant appeared, I came to exist. It's nice to meet you two, I guess." He says. 

No one says a word as it all processes. 

"Well," Izuku begins, "If you're here to help, then what do we do? As I'm sure you've noticed, Variant and I are at a loss for what to do right now." He declares. 

Chance smiles, "That's easy. We go to sleep. There's nothing in the room with us and the door is locked. I don't see how anything is going to hurt us. In my opinion, being alone is a good thing, it means there are no potential threats near by." He explains, "Think of it like how being in the dark is calming, being alone means it's just us, and we can trust each other, yes?" 

Variant shakes his head, "I don't want to trust you. But I honestly don't feel like you're a threat. I may not know what is safe, but I always know when something is dangerous or threatening to us." He concedes. 

Izuku smiles, "If Variant says you're safe, then I'll take his word for it. Welcome to the party Chance!" 

Chance can't help but smile back. "Thanks Izuku. I'm glad to be here." He replies. "Now then, do you want me to front for tonight. It will probably be easier on all of us if I do." 

Izuku and Variant nod. "Seems like a good idea to me. I finally get a break I guess." Izuku says.

"Hey! It's not like I never offer to take control." Variant protests, "You just never let me." 

"Variant, you and I both know how well you being in control all the time would go. And I really don't feel like watching you start fights all the time or just be difficult in general. You're great at protecting us, but not so great at just existing, you know?" Izuku comments. 

Variant huffs as he drops down onto the couch. "Fine. I guess I see where you're coming from. Have fun out there Chance. After all, all you're doing is sleeping. You gotta give Izuku control come morning, okay?" 

Chance nods, "That works. Good night I guess." 

The other two say their goodnights and Chance opens their eyes. 

 

Having taken control, Chance looks around the room, just to be sure there really isn't anything to worry about. And sure enough, it's all clear. 

So, Chance lays back down and pulls the covers over him. Time to get some sleep. 

---

Shouta holds back a sigh as he opens the door and leads Stephan and Inui into the room. As much as they are trying to encourage independence in Izuku, it honestly wasn't any easier for Shouta to leave Izuku alone. It broke his heart to leave Izuku while he was clearly terrified. 

With that in mind, Shouta makes his way over to the computer set up that is in place exactly for situations like this. It's not uncommon to need to monitor a patient from afar in a place like this. 

While Shouta gets the video feed set up for monitoring, Inui takes a seat beside him. "You seem to be having a hard time with this as well, if I'm not mistaken." The man says to him. 

Shouta sighs, but doesn't look away from the screen, "I am. He was terrified Inui. I feel like I've betrayed him or something. I told him I would keep him safe. And how is leaving him all alone making him feel safe?" he wonders. 

Inui nods, "I understand what you mean, however this is necessary. Izuku can't always be glued to your side. That kind of dependency isn't healthy long term." He tells him, "A better way to look at this would be helping him start to feel safe on his own." 

"I guess." Shouta mutters. 

"He has a point Eraser." Stephan speaks up. 

The blond had taken a seat closer to the door. If anything serious goes wrong with Izuku, Stephan is the one that will be responding. Shouta is not to intervene unless there are no other options. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, however. 

"You gotta admit that Izuku has become too reliant on you always being around." Stephan points out. 

Shouta says nothing. He knows this, but it doesn't make it any easier. 

"Looks like the video feed is working just fine." Inui comments, taking a look at the screen. 

On the screen is a direct video feed from Izuku's room. Izuku can be seen still laying in bed exactly how they left him. 

They observe for a bit, taking notice of how Izuku doesn't show any sign of intending to go to sleep. Then, the kid starts talking to himself. 

"He's probably talking to Variant." Shouta comments. 

"Sadly we don't have audio on this." Inui replies. 

Izuku's mutterings seem to grow more and more agitated before his suddenly sits up. A pained expression forms on his face as he clutches his head in his hands. It's clear the kid is getting worked up as he starts hitting a his head. Then his eyes close, and he goes still. 

"Should one of us go and check on him?" Stephan asks the others. 

Inui thinks a moment, "No, not yet. He seems stable enough. And if my suspicions as to what is going on are correct, it's best that we don't intervene." 

Shouta raises an eyebrow, "What do you think is going on?" he inquires. 

"I think we might be seeing another alter forming. It's certainly possible." Inui tells him. 

"An alter?" Stephan questions, "I thought Variant was a sentient quirk, not an alter." 

Inui shakes his head, "From what I've been able to determine, Variant is actually both. However I think he was an alter before he was a quirk. It is my belief that the quirk attached itself to the alter, which lead to what seems like a sentient quirk." He explains. 

Shouta sighs, "I see. I guess all we can do is watch and wait now."  

---

Shouta takes a deep breath before opening knocking on then opening the door. 

"Izuku? It's me, I'm coming in." He announces. 

Upon entering the room he sees Izuku having sat up in bed, spare capture scarf still settled around his neck, if not a bit tangled after having been slept in. 

Izuku then looks over at him, and Shouta notices his eyes glowing a faint teal. As quickly as it was noticed, it fades to the familiar emerald green.

"Zawa!" Izuku exclaims, working to get out of bed. 

Shouta can't stop from smiling as the kid, his kid, bounds over to him and promptly hugs him, burying his face in Shouta's shirt. 

"Hey Izuku. How are you doing kiddo?" he asks, running his hand through the greenette's hair while the other arm holds the kid close. 

"I'm okay. I missed you Zawa." Izuku answers, grip tightening briefly on the hero. 

"I missed you too Izuku. You did great." Shouta replies, "Was it as bad as you thought it would be?" he can't help but ask. 

Izuku extracts himself from Shouta's grip, eyeing Inui and Stephan where they stand at the door. 

"We were pretty scared at first. Then Chance showed up and helped us out!" Izuku declares. 

Chance? Does this mean Inui was correct in his prediction. 

"And who might that be Izuku?" Shouta asks, leading the kid over to his bed to sit down. Once Shouta sits down, Izuku sits down beside him, pressing closely into his side. 

"Chance is a new voice in my head, kinda like Variant." Izuku explains, "We met him in the room inside my head and he's really nice. He says his job is to help us know when we are safe. He's really smart." 

Coming from the kid that has caught Nedzu's attention, he must be quite intelligent. 

"Is Chance willing to talk with us Izuku?" Inui asks. 

Izuku looks up at him, then back down at his hands, thinking.

---

*Are you okay with talking to them Chance?* Izuku asks. 

~Ignore them, they're nosy and annoying.~ Variant declares. 

*Variant that's not nice! They just want to help!* Izuku argues. 

Izuku hears a sigh from the depths of his mind. <I guess I can talk to them. I'm not exactly sure what they expect me to say.> Chance tells him. 

Izuku smiles *Have fun then! And be nice! Don't be mean like Variant.*

~Hey! I'm being cautious!~ Variant protests. 

 

Izuku closes his eyes and relinquishes control to Chance. It still feels weird. 

This time he actually makes a point to look around at where he is. And sure enough, he's back in the mind scape with Variant. Speaking of, Variant sits on the couch. Feeling his gaze, Variant looks up and smirks, giving him a half wave then patting the place beside him. 

Content to let Chance handle things, Izuku joins Variant on the couch. 

---

Chance opens his eyes to find himself in the same room as last night. From what he had been told, this is their assigned room in the hospital. It seems safe enough. His teal gaze travels from his hands to the two men who have since made their way into the room and are now sitting on the other bed. They must be Hound Dog and Stephan. Izuku and Variant are particularly fond of Stephan, if the ten minute rant was anything to go by. As for Chance, he prefers to make his own conclusions about people. 

Chance then looks up at the man sitting beside him. So this is their beloved Zawa/Eraser. He certainly doesn't look like much. 

 

"Greetings. My name is Chance." He greets. 

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you Chance. I am Hound Dog, but you can call me Inui." The hound hero greets. 

Their psychiatrist is a dog...? 

"And I'm Stephan!" the blond beside him calls out, waving. 

He's enthusiastic if nothing else.

"And I'm Aizawa Shouta, pro hero Eraserhead. Call me whatever." The man next to him greets. 

Chance looks at him, "I've heard plenty about you Shouta-san." Chance tells him. 

Aizawa doesn't seem to know what to think of that, judging by the look on his face. 

"Introductions aside, do you mind telling us about yourself?" Inui asks. 

Chance eyes him, calculating. "I suppose. My name is Chance and I came into existence last night. The other two needed help deciding on what is a threat and whats not. If you ask me, Variant is too paranoid and Izuku is very anxious and emotional." He states. 

~Oi! I take offense to that. It's my job to be paranoid.~ Variant snaps. 

*Um, I'm always anxious? And I can't help that I'm emotional!* Izuku comments, sounding a bit confused. 

Shouta-san smirks, "You're not wrong. But that's part of what makes them unique." He comments, "What about you? What makes you, you?" he then asks. 

Chance shrugs, "I don't really know yet. I haven't been around all that long." He admits, "I do know that I want to help the others as best I can. But not just them, I want to help others too. So if there's anything I can help you guys with, just let me know." 

"We'll be sure to let you know if we need your help." Inui assures him, "Then am I correct to presume we won't have any issues with you cooperating with us?" 

Chance shakes his head, "So long as the others don't stop me, I don't have a problem with it."

"That's great. Thank you Chance." Inui replies. 

"Is there anything specific you need from me right now?" Chance then asks. 

"Not particularly, we just wanted to meet you. Seeing as how we are all invested in Izuku's care, I thought it best we meet all his alters." Inui explains. 

~As useful as it is, I still don't get why they are so determined to help us.~ Variant says. 

*Zawa says its because they care about us, and we deserve to be helped. But that doesn't really make much sense either does it?* Izuku muses. 

"I understand. Although I don't get why you'd want to help us. None of us really understand that." Chance adds, looking down. In doing so he misses the sad and concerned looks the adults exchange above his head.

"Well it's our job to help you understand, so don't worry too much about it now okay?" Stephan tells him. 

Chance meets his eyes, "O-okay." He pauses, "Can I go back now? I'm not really comfortable taking control like this for so long." He asks. 

Shouta-san gives him a soft smile, "Of course, you can let Izuku come back. Tell Variant we say hello." He says

 ~Maybe if they let me take control he wouldn't have to talk through the others.~ Variant grumbles. 

*You haven't exactly given them a reason to trust you. That and we are safe, so there's no reason to front right now. We are safe, right Chance?* 

Chance closes his eyes and joins them in the mindscape. "Yeah, we are. They're good people." 

Izuku beams, "Awesome! Though I guess it's my turn now!" he exclaims. 

Chance chuckles at his enthusiasm and Variant shakes his head fondly. 

"I guess you can tell Eraser that I say hi." Variant says softy, looking away. 

"Okay! I will!" Izuku replies. 

Then he closes his eyes an reopens them, "Hi Zawa, Hi Stephan. Oh and Inui." He greets. 

"Hello Izuku. How do you feel now that you're fronting." Inui asks him. 

Izuku gives him a confused look. "I feel fine I guess. Why?" 

"Just making sure developing a new alter isn't causing any other issues is all. Nothing to worry about child." Inui assures him.

"Okay." Izuku turns to Zawa, "Can we eat now? I'm starving!" 

Zawa chuckles, "Yes, we can eat now. You did good Izuku." 

---

---

Following the shooting, the entire Aldera School District was shut down for a week. 

In that time the police were collecting statements and evidence from the security camera footage, examining then cleaning up the crime scene and more. 

It was right when they all thought school would open back up that the district-wide investigation was announced. Which of course, meant the district would remain closed. 

 

Not that school opening had mattered much to Katsuki. He was stuck in the hospital for a fucking week and a half thanks to what shitty Deku did to him. Even now, having finally been fucking released from the hospital, he still has to go back for frequent check ups and physical therapy. It's shit. 

As of right now, Katsuki has very limited dexterity in his hands and wrists, and it's pissing him off to no end. The first thing they are working towards is being able to hold a damn fork or spoon or even a pencil in either hand. His right hand, which is also his dominant hand, took the most damage. That's not to say he left is really that much better off. According to the PT staff, his dominant hand will become whichever hand recovers with the most speed and accuracy. And isn't that just fucking great. Yet another thing shitty Deku screwed up, his fucking dominant hand. 

Don't even get Katsuki started on his quirk. He can't fucking use it. Which, of course, he didn't believe the shitty doctors and tried it the first chance he got. The result was pain like he had never felt and ruining any sort of progress his hands hand made up to that point. It's suffice to say, he won't be trying that shit again any time soon.

Shitty Deku definitely ruined fucking everything for Katsuki. He took his quirk, his hands and his chance at the hero course. After all, Katsuki is as good as quirkless right now. And a fucking  quirkless can't be heroes. He's spent the past ten years of their fucking lives pounding that into Deku's thick skull. 

And look where that got him. 

Things have been more than a little awkward at home. After Detective what's-his-face told his parents about what he had been doing to Deku, they definitely started to treat him differently. They're not mad, just...disappointed? Fuck if he knows. All he knows is that the old hag hasn't been yelling as much and the old man keeps giving him depressed glances all the time. What the fuck do they want? Do they think he can't handle being treated normally because his quirk is gone and his hands are fucked up? Or are they actually bent out of shape over what he did to Deku? 

Katsuki doesn't even see what he really did wrong. All he was doing was putting Deku in his place. Making sure he knew that useless, quirkless, scum like him can't be heroes. Not that it ever worked. Or maybe it did, given Deku attacked everyone at school. Does that mean he decided to try being a villain instead? He did kill Fingers and Rocks. But that's because they were weak. They have to be if they let shitty Deku of all people take them out. (He ignores the voice in his head which reminds him that he fell victim to Deku also.)

That said, Katsuki would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about what the detective had told them. That Deku might press charges? That Katsuki might be taken to court?

The Deku Katsuki knows wouldn't go that far. He's that one that was always saying how he would make an awesome hero (obviously). Now they're suggesting Deku would go and ruin that. Deku doesn't fight back. He cries and runs away. So honestly, Katsuki doesn't expect anything to come of that potential threat. Deku simply doesn't have it in him. 

 

Katsuki huffs and looks away from the old man as he leans in to button up his gakuran. While he has been making progress, Katsuki still can't perform finer motor functions like what is required to do up buttons. So, as much as he hates it, he needs help with that too. 

As it turns out, Aldera is closing down for the remainder of the semester as a result of the investigation. Apparently they authorities plan to completely restaff the school district, which is going to take time. So instead all the students are being distributed among the surrounding school districts. Which means Katsuki gets to go back to school after three weeks of being stuck at home. Which should be interesting given the state of his fucking hands. He'll fucking figure it out, like he does everything else. He's awesome that way. 

---

This new school doesn't really look like much. None of these extras seem particularly exciting or worth Katsuki's time. 

When he arrives at his classroom he is directed to sit at the back of the room, where there have been extra desks set up for all the arriving Aldera students. He sits down at one of the further up ones, putting his feet up on the desk, then waits for class to start. He recognizes a few faces as they file in but in reality he never made a point to remember all the extras a school. Sure, he'd recognize the two dip shits that followed him around all the time, but they didn't survive the shooting. And isn't that hard to process. 

 

Once the bell rings the teacher enters through the door and heads to the podium. 

Katsuki tunes out the speech about how there are students visiting from Aldera. Katsuki knows that already. He's one of them! 

 

"Now I'd like to take the time to have our visiting students introduce themselves." The teacher declares, "When you stand up, state your name and your quirk. Let's start with you on the end." They says, pointing to a random extra that on the end of the first row of Aldera students. 

One by one, each of the students stand up and introduce themselves. Katsuki doesn't pay any more attention to them all this time then he did at the beginning of the school year. 

Finally it's his turn. 

He stands up with a huff, showing his hands in his pockets (hiding a wince as the movement sends a spark of pain through each hand). 

"My name is Bakugo Katsuki. My quirk causes me to sweat nitroglycerin from my hands and I can ignite it to cause explosions." He says, sounding bored. 

"Care to give us a demonstration?" the teacher asks, looking intrigued. 

Katsuki huffs and looks away, "I can't use it, my hands were damaged during the incident." He grumbles. 

"So you're basically quirkless then." One of the students calls out. 

Katsuki doesn't reply as the teacher reprimands the student, something that would have never happened at Aldera. Is that what teachers are supposed to do?

"Thank you for sharing Bakugo-kun. You may sit back down." She tells him. 

Katsuki doesn't miss the look in her eye and how it has changed when addressing him. 

This is going to be a shitty day, that's for damn sure. 

---

The rest of the day didn't get any better. The extras were always giving Katsuki side glances during class and it was pissing him off. He had to take frequent breaks from writing his notes to massage out his hands. It was getting really fucking annoying. And it's not like his writing was all that legible now anyhow. 

After morning classes came lunch. Instead of having all the extras trying to sit with him like at Aldera, Katsuki sat alone. It was...odd. And lonely (not that he would ever admit to that.) 

When PE came around, instead of heading to the gym Katsuki got to go to the nurses office. He can't really participate with his hands how they are. And besides that, he needed the compression bandages on his hands and wrists rewrapped and to run through his various Physical Therapy exercises. 

The nurse seemed nice enough, but Katsuki could tell she was pitying him. Fuck, he doesn't want he pity, nor does he need it. 

Katsuki ended up being unable to take notes during his last two classes. His hands were too sore. He knows he's supposed to ask for someone else's notes so he doesn't get behind, but he refuses to ask for help. 

He didn't need if before, he doesn't need it now. 

---

---

Shouta holds the phone up to his ear as it rings. 

Currently he is in the some monitoring room as a few nights ago. Izuku is currently asleep in his room. They had asked Chance if they were going to be okay, and the alter assured them that they would be fine. 

So Stephan, Shouta and Inui are settled in the monitoring room around a table. The topic of tonight's discussion is measures that will be taken upon Izuku being discharged. As such, Naomasa will be joining the conversation via phone. 

 

"Hey Sho." Naomasa says upon answering. 

"Hey Nao, how are you?" Shouta asks. 

"Tired. Ready for you to come home. Otherwise I'm good." Nao answers. 

"I can relate to being tired. But that's a given." Shouta replies, "How's Hitoshi?" 

"He's in bed now. I can't guarantee he's asleep, however. That kid has insomnia that rivals yours Shouta." Nao informs him. 

"Sounds like something to look into at some point." Shouta says. 

"I agree. That and therapy. But for now I believe we were going to discuss the treatment plan for our other son." His husband reminds him. 

And doesn't that feel nice, calling the boys their sons. It feels almost natural already. 

 

"If you want to put Tsukauchi on speaker phone Aizawa, we are ready to begin." Inui says to him. 

Shouta nods and pulls his phone from his ear. He puts the call on speaker and sets the device down on the table in front of him. 

"You're on speak Nao. Inui says he's ready to start discussing." Shouta informs him. 

"Sounds good to me. Where are we starting?" Naomasa replies. 

"Let's start with medications." Inui begins, "The same schedule should be kept, administering meds both in the morning and the evening. You will also be given fast acting sedatives in cases of emergency, both injection pens and tablets." He tells them.

"It is important that you get Izuku on a schedule and keep him on said schedule." Stephan stresses, "The change of environment is inevitably going to cause set backs. You can expect a relapse of sorts until Izuku properly adapts to his new home. Change is a difficult thing for a case like Izuku's." 

"That said, try not to leave him on his own too much." Inui says, "While we do want to encourage independence in Izuku, we also need to guarantee his safety. What are his sleeping accommodations looking like?" 

"Izuku will be sharing a room with Hitoshi. Both boys seemed set on the idea, so it worked out."  Naomasa answers. 

"That's good then. You will also want to have Hitoshi aware of the signs that Izuku might be having an episode. I image that they will be together quite a bit, so its important Hitoshi knows when to seek an adult's help for Izuku." Inui tells them. 

"We will keep that in mind." Shouta replies. "What about the feeding tube?" he then asks. 

"Izuku has been doing pretty well with eating." Stephan answers, "So Inui and I decided it can come out. That said if he starts having issues again, it will need to be put back in. He's thin enough, we can't have him starving himself." he says. 

"We will have to tell him that when it's taken out so there's no surprises down the line." Inui decides. "As for our continued sessions, we can either meet at UA or I can do in home visits. Just let me know what you both and Izuku decide on." 

"I thought it be best to wait until taking Izuku to UA. Let him get settled at home first then go from there." Shouta replies. 

"That sounds like a good plan." Inui agrees. 

"Oh! And thanks to how many hours this case has been giving me, I'm being forced to take leave from work." Stephan declares, sounding not at all impressed, "I can give you guys my contact info so you can get ahold of me to watch the boys, or even just Izuku, if need be. That would probably we way easier than finding someone Izuku isn't familiar with. And besides, Izuku is my buddy." He adds

"That sounds great, thank you Stephan." Naomasa says in reply. 

"It's no problem." Stephan assures him. 

Shouta gets the feeling he's about to have more than just one Problem Child. Leaving those three alone, while arguably the best option for Izuku's mental state, sounds like chaos in the making. 

"There was one other thing I wanted to bring up." Stephan begins, "I've been thinking about it for a while now, and one of our main issues is Variant potentially acting up and hurting someone, yes?" 

"That's correct." Inui confirms, intrigued. 

"So what if Variant didn't need to step in for Izuku to defend himself? Wouldn't that solve the problem?" Stephan continues. 

"What are you suggesting exactly?" Shouta asks, eyeing the blond warily. 

"I think we should consider teaching Izuku self defense." Stephan stats plainly. 

There's a tense silence that follow his words. 

"You want to teach a child who had a violent psychotic break, how to properly fight?" Shouta questions incredulously. 

Stephan nods, "Think about it. It would be a way of teaching Izuku how to protect himself without having to go to the extremes the Variant taking control tends to result in. Not only can we keep him from hurting himself should he need to fight back, but it will also teach him how to properly defend against others without seriously harming them." He explains further. 

Shouta hates to admit it, but Stephan actually has a good point here. However the decision is ultimately up to Inui, not either of them. 

"I'll allow it." Inui says after a while, "But it must be in a secluded environment and you must also be there Aizawa should any problems with Variant arise." 

Shouta nods, "That sounds reasonable. We can bring it up to him after we get home. There's enough he is worrying about as it is with his discharge coming up." 

"Is that everything then?" Naomasa asks. 

"I believe so. Are you and Hitoshi still planning on coming to pick them up?" Inui asks. 

"We are. Hitoshi is very excited." Nao confirms. 

"I wonder who is more excited, Izuku or Hitoshi?" Stephan says, chuckling. 

Shouta shakes his head, "That is a question we may never have answered."  

---

Izuku watches as Rei takes her turn at Skip-bo. 

It's the morning of Izuku's discharge and the two decided to play to one last game before Izuku leaves the hospital. While Izuku is hanging out with Rei, Zawa is doing all the paperwork surrounding his discharge.

 

"So are you excited to be discharged Izuku?" Rei asks him as she finished her turn. 

Izuku shrugs. "I can't really decide." He admits, "I'm excited to see Toshi more than once a week. I'm excited to see more than the same bland rooms everyday. I'm happy because being discharged means that I've made progress." He rambles, "But I'm scared. I know it's safe here. But the real world isn't safe. I'm scared I'm going to mess up and and end up back here again. I'm scared of going to a new home, even though I trust the people there. I'm scared Variant is going to act up again." 

Rei listens silently as he lists off all his grievances. "That's understandable. And you're going to mess up, that's natural. Getting used to life outside of here again is going to be hard. But you have to trust in your support system." She tells him, "I can tell that Shouta really cares about you though. And I know how close you are with Hitoshi-kun. Let them help you. Don't try to handle this change all on your own." 

Izuku nods, listening attentively as he takes his turn. "I guess you're right. I can't stay here forever after all." He comments. "Speaking of which, I have a question for you Rei." 

Rei meets his eyes, "Oh? And what might that be?" she inquires. 

"If I told you I could get you out of here, would you accept my help?" He asks. 

Rei freezes mid card placement. "Izuku..." 

"I'm serious Rei, you don't deserve to be here. You've long since recovered, even the staff think so." Izuku continues. "I want to help you." He urges. 

Rei smiles softly, "I appreciate the offer Izuku, I really do. But I can't accept." 

"But why? You deserve to be free!" he insists. 

Rei puts her cards down and trains her focus on Izuku, "Listen to me Izuku. I understand how you feel. And for a long time, I would have accepted your offer without hesitation." She admits, "But I've realized that despite being trapped, I'm safer here than I've been in years. If I were to leave, Enji would just come after me again and make my life miserable. And that's no way for me to live." She explains. 

Izuku nods thoughtfully, "So in order to make this work I have to take out Endeavor then..." He muses. 

Rei giggles, "If you decide to, you won't see me stopping you Izuku." She tells him, "That said, I do have a favor to ask of you instead." 

Izuku looks up at her, eyes sparkling, "Anything." 

"My son, Shoto. He's still stuck suffering at the hands of Enji. I imagine with me out of the way his abuse of Shoto has only increases. He's obsessed you see, obsessed with winning this one sided rivalry with All Might. And he's decided to train Shoto to be the one to surpass him. And Shoto is in danger because of that." Rei explains, "If there's anyone you want to save from Enji, please, save my Shoto. I'll let you decide how to do it. And if that means just giving him a friend, then so be it. After all, that might be a more immediate way to help than taking down the number two hero." She points out. 

Izuku smiles, "I can do that. I'd be happy to save him Rei." He tells her. 

Rei gives him a bright smile, "That's wonderful. And please, tell him his mother misses him." She requests, "I suspect he thinks I hate him, seeing as how he has yet to visit me all these years. After all I've heard from my other children that Enji himself isn't doing anything to stop Shoto from coming to see me." 

"I can do that. He can come with me when I come visit you!" Izuku exclaims, "Which I plan to do as often as I can mange." He tells her.

"How about once every week or two? I think that would be reasonable." Rei suggests. 

Izuku beams his sunshine smile, "That sounds perfect. I just have to ask Zawa to make sure he's okay with it." 

Rei nods, "I'm sure Shouta won't mind too much. But don't stress yourself over me. You need to live your  life too you know." 

"I understand. Don't worry about me." Izuku assures her. 

Rei shakes her head, "As your self-proclaimed mother figure; it's my job to worry about you." She insists, "And once you get a phone and email set up, you can give me your contact and check in from time to time. Nedzu can help you with that too." 

Izuku stares at her for a moment, her initial statement still processing. "M-mother f-figure?" he stutters out, confused. 

Rei nods, "Of course. I hope you don't mind that I've come to see you as a son of mine." She asks. 

Izuku quickly shakes his head, "N-no! Not at all! I was just surprised is all. Does that mean I get to call you mom?" he then asks. 

Rei hesitates for but a moment, "If you would like to, it would be an honor." She tells him.

"It's decided then! You are officially mom!" Izuku exclaims excitedly. 

"Good." Rei replies, giggling at his enthusiasm, "Now I believe we have a game to get back to, don't we Izuku?" 

"Yeah!" 

---

Izuku grimaces and tightens his hold on Hitoshi's hand. While it wasn't the first time the feeding tube hand been changed out, and thus removed, it was still far from pleasant.

The two are sat on Izuku's bed with Stephan having pulled up his usual chair to sit across from Izuku. The blonde finishes pulling the tube out and deposits it in the kidney dish he has placed in his lap. 

"There we go, all done. I must admit you're getting better at holding still." Stephan says to Izuku. 

Izuku leans himself against Hitoshi, suppressing a shudder upon being reminded of the first time the tube was changed out, "Can't say it's something I really want to have to get used to." Izuku replies. 

"Well hopefully this is the last you'll see of it." Stephan says, "But remember, you stop eating and it goes right back in." He reminds Izuku. 

Izuku nods and ignores the quizzical look Hitoshi is no doubt giving him. Aside from that the other boy doesn't pry, he has long since learned not getting answers to such questions. 

 

Stephan stands up from his seat, "Well I need to go take care of this." He tells the room, "And if I recall correctly you have some visitors coming that I need to escort up, don't you Izuku?" 

That's right, Nedzu had mentioned him and Hawks coming to visit before he was discharged as a way of celebrating. 

"Really? Who's coming?" Hitoshi asks. 

"Nedzu and Hawks said they planned on coming today." Zawa answers before Izuku can say anything. 

"Cool! That means I finally get to meet Nedzu-sensei in person then." Hitoshi replies, excitement clear in his voice. 

Zawa and Masa on the other hand, do not look excited about this. 

---

---

 Sasaki Mirai had lost track of how many heroes insisted that he go to Heroes Retreat so that he can sign the notebooks being kept there. He understands that they all want to do something nice for this kid, but this entire mess was really getting out of hand. Mirai has never been one to follow major trends or anything, so he easily ignored the many, many insistent suggestions. 

That is, until he got the email from Nedzu. According to the rat, he had made it his mission to pass along his new personal student's analyses to his fellow pro heroes. The mere thought that Nedzu has a personal student is terrifying enough. But the fact the Nedzu was bragging about his student's work was a serious cause for concern. 

Each email consisted of two documents. One was a general, and very in depth analysis of said pro hero. It was often many many pages long and far surpassed the work of professional analysts across the industry. The second was a list. A list of theories, suggestions and questions the author had for the hero about their quirk and gear. These often turned out to be things they had never thought about themselves and proved to be extremely helpful. 

When Mirai finally got around to reading through his, he immediately made plans to go to Heroes Retreat and pay his respects. 

 

Which brings him to where he is now, flipping through the high quality notebook that contained all of the heroes' responses to the questions and suggestions. And Mirai simply couldn't put it down. This kid was extremely intelligent. He wants to meet him someday. 

 

"Impressive, isn't it?" a cheery voice interrupts him.

Mirai looks down to see none other than Nedzu standing beside him. 

"It is indeed. Where ever did you find this child?" Mirai asks, genuinely curious. 

Nedzu's ever present smile falters slightly, "I'm afraid that is not a happy tale Sir Nighteye." He answers. 

"Ah, forgive me for prying then," Mirai apologizes, "What brings you here Nedzu?" he then questions. 

Nedzu's grin turns near feral with glee, "As it so happens, my student is finally being discharged this afternoon. I am here to see him off." 

"He's still in the hospital? But its been over a month since you sent those emails out." Mirai exclaims, confused. 

"Izuku-kun has been in the hospital for seven weeks, Sasaki-kun. He's been through quite a lot." Nedzu tells him. 

Before Mirai can say anymore on the subject, the door from the lobby swings open and Hawks of all people walks in. 

"Hey Nedzu!" the winged hero greets with a two fingered salute, "I should have known you would get here before me." 

They seem to be on rather familiar terms. Interesting, if not concerning.

"Of course! Today is a rather momentous occasion after all. Izuku-kun has made so much progress to make it this far. I'm proud of my protege." Nedzu chirps. 

The idea of Nedzu having a protege sends chills down Mirai's spine. 

"Is Hound Dog already here?" Hawks then asks. 

Nedzu nods, "He is, he came this morning to start the paperwork process with Aizawa. Tsukauchi and Hitoshi-kun are already with Izuku as well." 

"Hound Dog and Detective Tsukauchi are also involved?" Mirai can't stop himself from asking. 

"Inui is actually Izuku's doctor. And Tsukauchi is one of Izuku's foster parents, seeing as how Izuku's primary guardian is Aizawa." Nedzu informs. 

Mirai was well aware of the two being married. And even from Mirai's uninterested perspective, those two took far too long to figure it out. He's also not surprised Aizawa has finally decided to at least foster a child, while it's well hidden, Mirai can clearly see Aizawa has a soft spot for children.

"I see." Mirai replies. 

 

"Did I hear that correctly Izuku-kun is being discharged today?" a new voice asks. 

The group divert their attention to see Ingenium walking over to them from the far corner of the room. 

"You did hear correctly, why?" Hawks asks. 

"Because that means we can finally give him the notebooks of course!" He exclaims. 

"I take it that means you will be joining us in visiting him then, Iida-kun?" Nedzu asks, sounding amused. 

"If you'll have me, I'd love to see the kid again." Iida replies with a wide grin. 

"That can be arranged. You can come too if you'd like Sir Nighteye. You're all pro heroes after all." A voice replies for Nedzu. 

"Ah Stephan! It's good to see you!" Nedzu greets. 

Mirai watches as a blonde nurse makes his way over to them from one of the doors leading to the hospital. 

"There were a few things I had to see to with Izuku before I could make my way down. Paperwork and the like." Stephan explains. "Izuku and Hitoshi are very excited to see you Nedzu-san." 

"This will be my first time meeting Hitoshi-kun in person." Nedzu points out, "I look forward to finally meeting my other student." 

Great, Mirai thinks, he has not one, but two students. What is this world coming to?

Hawks laughs, "I look forward to meeting him as well. That said, we should probably get going."

Stephan nods, then looks to Mirai, "How about it? Will you be joining us? You are one of Izuku's favorite heroes after all." He tells him. 

"I suppose I will. Lead the way." He answers. 

"Awesome! Tensei, grab the notebooks and we shall be off!" Stephan exclaims.

---

The four of them walk the halls of the hospital in companionable silence. Tensei holds tight to the notebooks as they walk, anticipation growing with every step. 

This is the moment they've all been waiting for. Izuku was in the hospital for a surprising amount of time, which admittedly concerned Tensei and the others. That said, it also gave them time to amass more and more signatures and notes with every passing week. Tensei just hopes Izuku will be as enthusiastic over them as all of the heroes have been. 

"I can sense your excitement from here Tensei." Stephan teases from beside him. 

Stephan has had the pleasure of seeing the gradually growing notebooks over the past few weeks as he passes through the visitor's lobby. 

Tensei has seen him taking Detective Tsukauchi and a purple haired kid up to see Izuku on numerous occasions. Tsukauchi makes sense, given he is married to Shouta. However the purple haired child doesn't. Could it be the two of them have acquired yet another child? Nemuri was having a hard time believing him as it was. Then again, Hizashi has been suspiciously silent about the whole matter? Is he in on it too? 

"Can you really blame me Stephan?" Tensei replies. 

Stephan chuckles, "No, I honestly can't. If  you'd like I can record his reaction for you. I'm sure the others would love to see what their efforts amounted to." 

"Is that really wise, Stephan-kun?" Sir Nighteye asks. 

"I think it would be fine. But be sure to check with Izuku's guardians before spreading that video around, okay Iida-kun?" Nedzu replies.

Tensei nods, "Of course." 

 

As they keep walking, Tensei can't help but notice how deep into the hospital they have gone. They've already passed most of the doors that lead to the wards that Tensei is accustomed to visiting when he is here for friends or his sidekicks. 

"I have to ask, where exactly are we going?" Tensei questions, "We've already passed most of the wards in the hospital." 

Stephan exchanges looks with Nedzu, and the rodent nods. 

"We are headed to the psychiatric ward, Tensei. That's were Izuku was admitted to." Stephan explains. 

Oh.

"Forgive me for prying, but the child wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the Aldera cases, would he?" Sir Nighteye asks. 

Now there's a thought. But wouldn't he be treated at a normal hospital with all the other children? 

Nedzu sighs, "You are as sharp as ever Sasaki. Izuku was the cause of that incident. Hawks and Eraserhead were the onsite heroes that rescued him and responded to the incident." He explains. 

"I see, so the child suffered a psychotic break, if the rumors are to be believed." Sasaki-san replies. 

"That's the simplified version at least." Hawks tells him, "The little buddy is quirkless. I doubt I need to tell either of you what that means for how he's suffered while growing up. 

Tensei shakes his head. He knows full well what that implies. But the kid was so full of life when they saw him. It isn't really his place to ask about such things. 

 

Well, that just makes giving him these notebooks all the more important.

---

Izuku listens silently as Hitoshi tells him all about what he did during his most recent training session with Present Mic. While slightly jealous, Izuku is just happy that Hitoshi is finally being supported in his dream to become a hero. 

Izuku, however, doesn't want to be a hero. 

After everything that's happened, Izuku knows that it's best he takes a different path. Not that he's all that disappointed. He doesn't think he has it in him to be a hero anymore. Not after everything he's suffered over the years. The incident that got him here was the last straw really. It took far too long for someone to help him. And really, does he want to put himself in danger to help those who ultimately hurt him? Nope. Not to mention all the criticism he would receive when he tried to become a quirkless hero, even without the incident working against him. 

"Are you still listening Izu?" Hitoshi asks, interrupting Izuku's spiraling train of thought. 

Izuku blinks and looks up at him from his place leaning into Hitoshi's side. "Sorry Toshi, I kinda zoned out there for a second." He apologizes. He can feel Zawa's gaze from where he's talking with Masa. Zawa worried too much sometimes. 

Hitoshi smiles, "It's fine. Today has already been quite busy for you hasn't it?" 

Izuku nods, "Yeah, and we still have the visit from Hawks and Nedzu coming." 

Izuku is starting to doubt if he's going to last that long. He's never exactly been the most social. Not to mention, he still gets tired quite easily. Inui-san says that will get better as his depression improves, and as they continue to perfect what meds he is on. Izuku is just tired of being tired some days. 

 

A knock at the door pulls him once again from his thoughts.  

"Hello? It's Stephan! I brought visitors!" the familiar voice practically cheers from the other side of the door. 

Out of pure habit, Izuku makes eye contact with Zawa and nods, letting the man give Stephan permission to enter the room. 

Izuku can't help stiffening slightly as the door opens and Stephan walks in. Behind him, in walks Nedzu and Hawks. Then...is that Ingenium? And Sir Nighteye? 

"Hello Izuku-kun! Hitoshi-kun!" Nedzu chips as he enters the room. 

Hawks waves at both of them as he follows the rat inside. 

"We also brought guests. Tensei has something to give to you and Sir Nighteye decided to join us since he was already here." Stephan explains. 

 

Izuku sits up straight beside Hitoshi and eyes his new visitors. 

"Hey buddy! It's good to see you again!" Ingenium greets with a smile. 

Izuku smiles back hesitantly, "Y-yeah." 

"Hello Izuku-kun. It's nice to meet you. Nedzu saw told me about you." Sir Nighteye then says, pushing up his glasses. 

Nedzu-sensei talks about him? Why?

Ingenium steps forward, "Like Stephan said, I have something to give you. It's from all of us heroes down at the visitor's lobby." He explains. 

Then he hands Izuku two leather bound notebooks. 

"Open the top one first." Ingenium instructs. 

Slowly, with Hitoshi looking over his shoulder, he opens it. 

Inside the notebook, Izuku is greeted with signatures. Dozens and dozens of hero signatures. Izuku flips through the pages, eyes widening and excitement growing as the contents seem never ending. Some of them have little notes, others doodles and the like. Some compliment him on his questions and theories, though Izuku doesn't recall having met most of them. 

"T-Thank you!" Izuku exclaims, looking up. He has to blink his eyes a few times to hold back tears. 

"No problem buddy!" Ingenium replies with a wide grin, "When you came to see us, you didn't have anything we could give autographs in. So we figured we would collect them for you. Although I'll admit we kinda got carried away. I think half the heroes in Japan are in there." He jokes. 

He is joking right? Izuku would have to check at a later time. 

Next, Izuku opens the other notebook, unsure of what he's going to find inside. 

The contents of this notebook take a bit longer to figure out. He is greeted with Ingenium's writing on the first page. After reading through quickly, he realizes that the bulleted notes are all answers to his questions and theories that he had talked to the hero about when he met him last. And....compliments on his analysis notes? Flipping through the notebook, Izuku realizes that's what all the pages are. Each page is dedicated to a hero, and written by said hero if Izuku is right. They all are similar to the first, answers and compliments, explanations on specific parts of their quirks or support gear. It's a bit overwhelming. 

"You'll notice there are more heroes in the book than you probably have met in person." Nedzu-sensei speaks up, "I took the liberty of sending out your analysis notes to the heroes that they were on in an effort to get you answers. After all, there were so many good point and suggestions!" he chirps. 

He did what!? 

"Wh-what?" Izuku questions, "You didn't have to do that Nedzu-sensei!" He insists, overwhelmed. 

"It's the least I could do! Think nothing of it!" Nedzu replies. Izuku doesn't think Nedzu-sensei understood why he's so flustered over this. 

"You're notes really were quite impressive Izuku-kun." Sir Nighteye says to him, "We all enjoyed reading them. You are quite skilled." 

"So we all decided to answer your questions and such!" Ingenium tells him, "So you'll find plenty of material to read through inside that notebook. We hope you enjoy it!" 

 

This time, Izuku can't hold back the happy tears. He breaks down crying, still having a hard time believing this is really happening. 

"Wait! Don't cry!" he hears Ingenium exclaim, sounding concerned. 

"Don't worry, they're happy tears. Crying is just his thing." He hears Hitoshi assure him. 

"O-oh. Okay then. Well, I'm glad you like them!" Ingenium replies, still sounding unsure. 

Izuku nods, "Thank you so much! You have to tell everyone thank you for me, okay?" he requests. 

"Absolutely." Ingenium assures him. 

"And if you come up with anything else you want to ask or tell us, just let Nedzu know. I'm sure he can take care of the details." Sir Nighteye then says. 

"O-okay." Izuku replies. 

 

The next hour or so is then spent talking with everyone and Izuku gushing over the notes he now has to go at his disposal. Overall, it's one of the best gifts he's ever received. 

---

---

It's the end of the school week, and nothing really changed. Katsuki is getting sick of being ignored at every turn. He's used to be the center of attention, the best of the best. Not being treated like he is the extra. 

Katsuki sighs as he opens the door to his apartment. He doesn't bother announcing he's home, just goes about taking off his shoes in the entryway. 

He can hear voices coming from the living room, unfamiliar voices. So he makes his way over to said room to see what the fuck is going on. 

And when he arrives, he sees the same detective that came to speak to them when he was still in the hospital, and beside him a cat-headed police officer. Everyone looks up at him as he stands in the doorway

What the fuck is this all about? 

---

Masaru sits on the couch while reading his book. Katsuki should be home soon. They don't have to take him to PT tonight, so it's going to be just another tense night at home. 

He wouldn't say that things have changed since they found out the truth about Katsuki, but they certainly haven't been the same. 

Mitsuki's attitude has been significantly tuned down in the weeks since then. Masaru gets the feeling that she blames herself for how things have turned out. Which really isn't fair to herself. Sure she can be abrasive and down right aggressive at times, but she's never been discriminatory. That said, they are both guilty of blaming Katsuki's behavior on his quirk. 

And that's ultimately the issue here isn't it. Katsuki's quirk. There has definitely been a chance in their son since he lost the use of his quirk. It's concerning. Not to mention, thanks to being a light sleeper, Masaru knows that Katsuki has been waking up from what he presumes are nightmares most nights. Despite both these developments, neither Mitsuki nor Katsuki seem to agree with him that they should consider putting Kats into therapy. 

 

There's a knock at the front door. 

Masaru looks up, he doesn't think they were expecting anyone.

There's a second series of knocks followed by Mitsuki's heavy and hurried footsteps. 

"I'm coming, I'm coming." She hollers out. Masaru can't help but smile at her antics as he gets up to join her at the door. 

"What the hell do you want?" he hears his wife demand. 

Masaru arrives at the door and stops behind Mitsuki. At the door stands Detective Tsukauchi and another officer with a cat mutation quirk.

"Good afternoon, forgive the intrusion. My name is Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa and this is my partner Officer Tamakawa Sansa." The detective greets, "We have urgent matters to discuss with you both. It's about your son, Katsuki." He explains.

"Well the brat isn't home yet, so you'll have to come back later." Mitsuki snaps. 

"You misunderstand me, we are here to speak with you and your son. And it must happen today." Detective Tsukauchi amends. 

An uneasy feeling settles in Masaru's stomach. He doesn't like the sound of that. 

"Of course, officers. Come in." He says, stepping in front of his wife to hold the door open (and to keep Mitsuki from slamming it in their faces).  

Surprisingly Mitsuki doesn't protest, instead just turning to lead them into the living room. 

 

Once seated, Masaru decides to bite the bullet. "So what is this about officers?" he asks. 

Detective Tsukauchi pulls a manilla folder from his briefcase. "It's about Katsuki-kun actually. Last we spoke you were being made aware of your son's treatment of one Midoriya Izuku." He reminds them. Not that the reminder is needed nor is it wanted. 

"Yeah? What of it?" Mitsuki demands. 

"I also mentioned that there is a possibility that Midoriya will press charges." The detective continues.

He then opens the folder after setting it down on the coffee table in front of them. 

"This is the official legal notice that Midoriya is, in fact, pressing charges." He moves to the next set of papers, "And this is the warrant for Katsuki-kun's arrest. He is to be taken into custody until the trial at the appointed date." 

 

Masaru's blood runs cold. So it's come to this. 

Honestly, Masaru isn't really sure what to think of it all. They knew Katsuki had an attitude problem, but nothing this extreme. And can any parent really be expected to suspect their child of bullying? Especially bullying the child of a close family friend. 

They were given nothing to suspect foul play at the monthly family dinners. While the two boys weren't exactly social with one another, they were civil at the very least. Was that all an act? And if Izuku was being hurt to such an extent, why didn't Inko say anything? Certainly she had to be aware of the injuries Izuku must have been coming home with. 

There really are too many questions revolving around this entire scenario. 

 

"Let me get this straight." Mitsuki begins, voice sounding forced, "You're arresting our son? Do we get any say in this?" she asks. 

"Considering these aren't simply accusations, but charges that are founded with evidence collected from the Aldera Investigations, no. He is simply in need of a trial and the determination of an appropriate sentence." Officer Tamakawa answers. "We just need you to sign the appropriate paperwork." 

Mitsuki looks helplessly at Masaru. Masaru gives is wife a sad smile and places a hand on her leg. 

"Show us were we need to sign. We will cooperate as best we can." He assures them. He feels Mitsuki tense, but she utters no further protest. 

---

After countless pages of reading and signatures later, everything is in order. 

And just on time, the front door opens. 

A brief shuffling can be heard before Katsuki appears in the doorway. His eyes instantly find the two police officers sitting in the living room. Masaru can see the anxiety in his eyes. 

"What the fuck is this?" Katsuki demands, mouth curved into a snarl. 

"Katsuki." Mitsuki greets, "These officers are here to inform us that Izuku has decided to press charges." She tells him. 

Katsuki's face pales, and it breaks Masaru's heart. 

"A-and?" he asks. 

Officer Tamakawa stands and walks over to him, pulling hand cuffs from his belt. 

"Bakugo Katsuki, you are under arrest on charges of bullying, assault, unauthorized public quirk usage, quirk usage with the intent to harm,  property damage, quirk discrimination, suicide baiting in addition to encouraging, enabling and committing several hate crimes." 

---

---

Hitoshi smiles down at Izuku, who is currently leaning against him and fast asleep. The events of today had clearly tired him out. That, and apparently they gave Izuku some meds for his anxiety so he didn't get too stressed out over his first time being outside in weeks. Hitoshi's hand still kinda hurts after the death grip Izuku had on it the entire trip to the car. Hitoshi did his best to distract him be telling him all about the cats that he was finally going to get to meet. 

 

After the visit from the heroes, it was time to finally leave, with Izuku and Shouta this time. Hitoshi was so excited to show Izuku their new room. And, really, he was just excited to be living with Izuku in general. 

Over the past few weeks, he's been gradually getting more comfortable around Naomasa. Admittedly it took a lot of getting used to after years of being treated like shit. The man was quite kind and understanding though, so it's fine. He never rushed Hitoshi as he slowly came out of his shell. Now he has to get used to having Shouta around all the time too. That said, the hero doesn't seem all that hard to get along with. 

 

Hitoshi runs his hand through Izuku's curls as the greenette starts to stir. They're almost home, but Shouta said it was best to try and keep him asleep. Home, isn't that a great thing to say? 

Notes:

Greetings my dudes. How goes it.

I know, I know. I said I'd update more once my semester was over. But I have good reason. Sorta.

First, I had to take the time to figure out what the hell I was going to do next with this fic. Honestly, this was as far ahead as I had planned really, so I needed to figure some shit out.
Second, I've had an interesting past couple of weeks. I was recovering from being burnt out thanks to finals week and I was working far more than I really wanted to.
And finally, but honestly most importantly, my cat. I had to put Tigerlilly down exactly a week ago. She was 18 and a half years old and it was her time. That said, I've had her around since I was, like, five. I was effectively a mess. She was my baby and I miss her dreadfully. She was also my main emotional support, so the shit that has happened the past week was that much more difficult.

Anyway, this chapter.
So, what do we think? We have another alter, Chance, joining the party. It took me FOREVER to decided on his character and even just a damn name. Like, seriously, I probably debated his name for like two weeks. I had the entire scene written for a week before I actually had a name to put in. Which is sad, I know. Leave me alone.

I don't really know what else to say. I'm tired after working all day and I have to get up early tomorrow to drive my dad to the airport. But I really wanted to finally get this chapter out for you guys

Let me know what you guys think! You're comments and kudos give me life!

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 12: Our Fear Founds Our Fire

Summary:

Our pain penetrates our panic
We cut through the static
Our fear founds our fire
To remind us of our desire
~~
Izuku has finally gotten to go home with Shouta. It's time to see what awaits him there.

Notes:

I'm back.
Life seems determined to keep me from updating. I'm not sure if I should apologize for that.

Here's another chapter, It's mostly fluff. WIth some more serious stuff at the end.
I only managed to cover half of what I wanted to before it was suddenly almost 10k words long. Like what the hell happened?

We've also officially passed 100k words. I'm seriously not even trying to make this fic this long. It just keeps happening.

EDIT: you have reached 100k words, thus here is the server link should you be interested, after all you did make it this far ;)
https://discord.gg/Jmmy7dJ3a7

Anyway, enjoy this long overdue chapter!

Having arrived at their apartment building's parking lot, Hitoshi watches as Naomasa turns the car off. 

Izuku on the other hand, is still fast asleep, cuddled into Hitoshi's side. 

"Should I wake him up?" Hitoshi asks, despite being reluctant to do so. 

Naomasa looks at Shouta, "We could let him sleep and have one of us just carry him up. He's had a long day." He suggests. 

Shouta, however, shakes his head, "Izuku waking up in an unfamiliar place is only going to lead to an episode. I think we would all rather avoid that if we can." He replies. "Go ahead and wake him up Hitoshi. He's been so excited to come home that I doubt he'd want to miss any of it because he was sleeping." 

Hitoshi nods and turns his attention to Izuku, gently jostling the greenette to shake him awake. 

"Izu, come on Izu, you gotta wake up now." He urges. 

Izuku stirs slightly and makes a confused noise, then promptly buries his face in Hitoshi's shoulder while swatting his hand away. 

"Nooooo." Izuku whines, sounding exhausted. 

"Izuku, we're here. You need to wake up so we can head up to our apartment." Shouta tells him. 

Izuku bolts upright suddenly, and Hitoshi narrowly misses being head-butted as a result. 

"We're here?" Izuku asks, instantly wide awake. The sudden change is somewhat concerning. 

"We are, we just need to get inside and take the elevator up to our floor." Naomasa answers, "Think you're up for it?" he then asks. 

Izuku nods, "I'll be okay." 

Taking that as the go-ahead it was, everyone starts getting out of the vehicle. Shouta opens the door to the back seat for Izuku, then takes hold of his arm as he slides off the seat to the ground. Once his feet hit the ground, Izuku stumbles forward a few steps, struggling to get his bearings. 

Luckily, Shouta had kept hold of his son, knowing this would happen. The stronger anxiety meds they gave Izuku earlier always leave him unsteady on his feet. 

Once steadied, Izuku takes hold of Shouta's offered hand, trapping it in a tight grip. Hitoshi appears on his other side, Izuku's yellow backpack thrown over his shoulder, taking his remaining hand into his. Naomasa comes to stand beside Shouta. 

Together they all make their way into the building and ride the elevator up to the sixth floor. 

As they make their way down the hall, Izuku releases his hold on Shouta's hand in favor of clinging to Hitoshi's arm, pulling said arm to his chest and wrapping his own around it. Hitoshi, for his part, says nothing. He simply smiles to himself and keeps walking, leading them both to the apartment door. 

Once they stand before said door, Naomasa unlocks the door but does not open it yet. Izuku tightens his hold on Hitoshi and looks up to his friend, his brother, with the look on his face conveying all his anxiety and apprehension. For a moment the adults think there may be a problem, Izuku may be losing his nerve and his sudden bravery. 

Then Hitoshi smiles at him and says, "Come on inside Izu." 

He then reaches out and opens the door himself and pulls Izuku on inside with him. And that conveys more safety and trust than words ever could. Izuku knows that Hitoshi is resistant to trusting any home, so for him to walk in without an ounce of hesitation speaks volumes. 

Shouta and Naomasa exchange a fond glance and follow the boys into the apartment.

                                                     

---

Now standing in the front entryway, Izuku jumps at the impossibly loud "mrrow" that echoes through the apartment. He then stumbles to the side, squeaking in surprise, as a blur of brown bolts through his legs and makes a beeline for the door. 

Zawa, however, seems prepared. He instantly bends down and swiftly scoops up the would be escape artist and holds the thin brown tabby against his chest. 

"Izuku, this is Knife, she is sharp and stabby and also frequently tries to escape the apartment." Zawa tells him. 

"She puts in a valiant effort, but only makes it out the door half the time. Chasing her is not fun." Hitoshi adds. 

Another 'mrrow' sounds through the apartment, this time sounding slightly closer. 

Masa chuckles, "And that would be Loud Cloud, or Cloud for short. His is the most vocal cat you will ever meet. He likes to greet us whenever we walk through the door." 

"He is also very demanding when it comes to wanting attention. Fair warning." Hitoshi warns Izuku from his place on the floor where he is taking off his shoes. 

Izuku decides to follow his lead and sits down himself, setting to work on untying his red Primordial shoes. He's barely gotten settled on the floor before a calico cat is desperately attempting to get onto his lap. Izuku struggles with the sudden onslaught for a minute before Hitoshi saves him from the slightly round cat. Said cat simply settles in his arms and starts purring like an engine. 

"This is Fanta. Her life's calling is to sit on people. She will also try to drink any soda she can manage to get her paws on, her favorite is brown soda." Hitoshi explains. 

~How many cats are in this damn house!?~

<It does seem rather excessive.> 

Izuku giggles softly at the commentary in his head, earning a side glance from Zawa.

"Well, come on in Izuku, living room is this way." Masa tells him, picking Izuku's duffle bag back up and leading the way down the hall around the corner through a doorway. There's another doorway a bit farther down then past that is two small doors on the opposite wall, then a closed door at the end of it.

Izuku scrambles to get to his feet and follows him, Hitoshi takes up post next to him while still holding Fanta. 

Zawa sets Knife down and silently picks up Izuku's backpack and follows behind them. 

They walk into the living room and, to their right, is a TV stand with a flatscreen tv sitting atop it. On the floor in front of the TV what a fluffy rug that had what looked suspiciously like a body print slightly visible. Across from said TV is a a grey couch, with an identical couch running perpendicular to it and a coffee table positioned in between the couches. There's bookshelves against the far right wall as well. The opposite wall from where they stand has another doorway that looks like it leads into another hallway. The wall to their left has two doorways on either end, both leading to the kitchen.

"The hall we were just in has a closet, a bathroom and at the end of the hall is the office Sho and I share. We can go look at that later." Masa begins explaining, setting Izuku's bag down near the couches. 

As he does so, another cat, this one a tuxedo, jumps onto the back of the couch and starts walking toward Masa. Izuku notices said cat doesn't have a tail. He then watches as the cat missteps, flails, then falls off the couch. Masa steps forward and catches the cat then places him on the floor. The fluidity of the action suggests this is a frequent occurrence. 

Sighing, Masa stands back up, "This one is Penguin. He lost his tail so his balance is, quite frankly, nonexistent. He greatly appreciates it if you catch him when he is falling. His front paws are declawed, which really doesn't help him stay on things, but it does mean that you won't have to worry as much about him clawing you when you grab him." He explains, running a hand down the cat's back. As a result, Penguin meows up at Masa, turns around to rub against the man's leg, then proceeds to miss said leg and goes stumbling past it.

"I also think his eyes are bad." Zawa chimes in, "That or he's just stupid." 

Izuku and Hitoshi laugh at the comment while Masa glares at Zawa. 

"Mrrow!" Izuku jumps and grabs onto Hitoshi's arm, startled by the sudden presence beside him. 

Zawa chuckles and walks over to the cat. "Loud Cloud is obnoxious. But he isn't going deaf or anything. He just likes to be heard. He will scare the shit out of you. Get used to it." 

Izuku eyes the cat warily. 

~Can I kick it?~ Variant asks. 

<No, you cannot kick the cat.> Chance replies. 

Variant huffs, ~Well if he scares me, I reserve the right to defend myself.~ 

<It's a cat Variant, not a rabid animal.> 

~And I'm telling you cats are demons. Keep those things away from me!~ Variant argues. 

Izuku laughs. 

"What's so funny Izu?" Hitoshi asks. 

"Oh, apparently Variant is scared of cats." Izuku explains. 

Zawa snorts, "Is that so?" 

Toxic green eyes glare at him, "I will fight you Eraserhead." Variant threatens. 

"Sure you will. Just keep in mind who has all the cats on his side." Aizawa replies 

Variant visibly falters, opting to retreat to the mindscape opposed to answering. 

Izuku sighs, "He's ranting now. Thanks Zawa." 

"My pleasure." Zawa replies, mirth in his eyes. 

 

"If you two are done, why don't you let Hitoshi show you your shared room Izuku?" Masa interrupts. 

Izuku flinches at being addressed, the action barely noticeable (Shouta and Naomasa catch it though, and exchange a brief glance at the sight). 

"Um, okay." Izuku replies, looking to Zawa by default. 

Zawa nods in encouragement, "Go on, Nao and I are going to start dinner." He tells him. 

"Come on Izu, lets go!" Hitoshi exclaims, grabbing Izuku's wrist. 

This time, Izuku does jump, barely managing to resist yanking his arm out of his brother's grip. The worried look Hitoshi gives him makes Izuku feel ashamed. He gives him a stiff nod and a wobbly smile before letting himself be led into the hall.

<Nothing wrong with being startled. He shouldn't have grabbed you without warning.> Chance reassures.  

*But it's Toshi! I know Toshi would never hurt me.* Izuku argues. 

~Yet we are so used to the fact that most people do hurt us that it's become an instinctual response, Zu. Don't beat yourself up over it.~ Variant tells him.

"And here we are! Our bedroom!" Hitoshi announces, interrupting Izuku's internal conversation. "Go ahead and open the door when you're ready Izu." 

Izuku stares at the closed door for a second. He then takes a deep breath and reaches out to turn the knob. 

Izuku's eyes go wide at the sight that awaits him on the other side. 

First of all, the bedroom is much bigger than the one he had at Inko's house. A fact that becomes even more apparent as he takes a few steps into the room. 

To Izuku's right and on the same wall as the door they entered was a slightly ajar door that looked to be the closet. Along the right wall was a bunk bed, the frame was black and there were green curtains hanging open from the top bed that were probably meant to enclose the bottom bunk. Against the far wall from the door were two dressers, both all black except for that fact that the knobs on the right one were purple and the knobs on the left one were green, there was a white bookcase in between them. Against the left wall there were two bean bag chairs, one green, one purple sitting on top of what looked like the fuzziest carpet Izuku has ever seen. 

"Wow." Izuku says softly, taking in the whole room. 

"Pretty cool right? You get the bottom bunk, Naomasa and Shouta said that wasn't up for debate." Hitoshi tells him. Izuku didn't show any sign of minding, "And before you get looking around too thoroughly, check behind the door." He directs. 

So Izuku does. Behind the door in the corner there is a green canopy hanging from the ceiling. Izuku makes his way over and pulls aside the curtains. 

Inside there are fairy lights hung from the top, giving the space a soft illumination. And scattered about the floor where countless pillows and blankets, of all different colors and textures. It looked immensely comfortable. 

"This was Naomasa's idea." Hitoshi tells him, appearing in the opening of the curtains. "This is your corner, no one gets to come in unless you say they can. Well, within reason of your safety that is." He explains. 

Izuku looks around it in awe for a few minutes longer, testing out the pile of softness, tracing his hand along the textures of the pillows and along the walls of the canopy, pulling a few of the blankets to his face for a sample nuzzling. 

Then, Izuku is up and bounding out of the room, Hitoshi trailing dazedly behind him, and making a beeline for the kitchen. 

There, in the kitchen, Naomasa is leaning against the kitchen counter, talking to Shouta in a soft voice. Izuku doesn't even bother announcing himself. He just barrels into the man and wraps his arms snugly around his torso, burying his face in Naomasa's shirt. 

"Thank you." He says, just loud enough for the man to hear. 

Naomasa, startled and a bit confused, leans back against the cabinets for support. Hesitantly he wraps his arms around Izuku. He looks over at Hitoshi, who is grinning in the doorway, for some sort of explanation. 

'The nook.' Hitoshi mouthes helpfully, before leaning back against the wall. 

Naomasa smiles, looking back down at Izuku, "You're most welcome." 

The two stand there for a few minutes, the taller of which pointedly ignoring the sound of a phone camera going off. 

---

After dinner, Izuku leads Hitoshi back to their bedroom. 

"Seriously though, Toshi, it looks great." Izuku tells him, opening the door. 

"I'm glad you like it, Izu. I put a lot of thought into it." Hitoshi replies. 

<Before you get too comfortable, I need to check it over, Zu.> Chance tells him. 

*Why?* Izuku asks. 

~He wants to make sure the room is safe. If this is to be our new room, we need to be absolutely positive that it's going to be a safe place for us. Especially if Eraser isn't going to be in here with us all the time.~ Variant explains. 

 

"Izu? You good?" Hitoshi asks, cutting through the voices in Izuku's head. 

Izuku blinks a few times, "Y-yeah, I'm good. Although Chance wants to check the room over to make sure it's safe." Izuku tells him. 

"Um...okay?" Hitoshi replies, sounding confused. 

Unfortunately, Izuku doesn't get a chance to explain further before he is being pulled back into the mindscape. 

---

Hitoshi watches in confusion as Izuku closes his eyes and the ever present tension in his body seems to evaporate for a moment. Then, he opens his eyes again. 

And this time, they're glowing teal. 

"Izu?" Hitoshi asks hesitantly, torn on whether or not he should go get Shouta. 

"Not exactly. My name is Chance." A more mature sounding, even toned, voice replies, "We haven't met yet, it's nice to meet you Hitoshi." He says, bowing. 

Hitoshi takes a step back, slightly uncomfortable, "Uh, yeah...nice to meet you I guess." 

Chance straightens and looks at him. Hitoshi can't help but feel like he's being analyzed, but not Izuku's usual analysis, something far more critical and invasive. While Izuku's was harmless and innocent, this feels like you're being taken apart and dissected. 

"You are confused. I suppose that makes sense." Chance states, "I came into existence about a week ago. My job is to analyze and determine if something or someone is safe or not. That's the simplified explanation at least." he explains. 

"Okay... So, are you analyzing me or are you analyzing the room?" Hitoshi asks. 

"Both actually," Chance answers, "I've already determined you aren't a threat. We shall see if that changes. And now I need to analyze the room." He says. 

"Alright. Have fun I guess. Let me know if you need anything?" Hitoshi replies, uncertain. 

He's never been good at interacting with strangers. And while this is technically Izuku, it's also a different person in a sense. What's more he doesn't seem as easy to connect with as Variant was. 

Wait...if Chance is here, then what happened to Variant? Has he been replaced? 

"I do need something actually." Chance interrupts his thoughts, "I need you to leave." He declares. 

And before Hitoshi can even muster a response, he's being shoved out of the room and has had the door closed in his face. 

What the hell?

---

Unsure of how to proceed, Hitoshi wanders out into the living room. There he finds Naomasa and Shouta sitting on the couch, watching something on the tv. Shouta is leaning heavily into Naomasa. 

"Hitoshi? Where's Izuku?" Shouta, raising his head, asks upon noticing him enter the room. 

"Izuku kinda just...vanished." He replies. 

Both adults are on their feet in an instant. Shit. 

"Wait!" Hitoshi all but shouts, "He's not gone! He's just- he's well- I mean he's still there, but not? Not gone just- uh-" he fumbles over his words, seemingly unable to get a grasp on what he's even trying to say. 

"Hitoshi." Naomasa's voice interrupts. 

Hitoshi flinches into himself and closes his eyes. Shit, he messed up. He's not supposed to speak. Stupid stupid stupid-

"Take a breath and think about what it is you want to say. Izuku is safe correct?" Hitoshi nods, shoulders raised to his ears, "Then we aren't rushing you. Take your time." Naomasa's calm and mild tone instructs. 

Hitoshi opens his eyes and drops his shoulders. Internally he berates himself for his reaction. He's not there, he's with Naomasa. Naomasa, who doesn't mind if he talks and waits for him to figure out what he wants to say. 

"Izuku is still in our room. Except it's not Izuku? But it's not Variant either? His eyes are glowing teal this time, and he called himself Chance. He said something about analyzing if things were safe, then kicked me out of the room." Hitoshi explains slowly. 

Shouta seems to relax at the explanation, adjusting his stance to a less tense and more casual one. Noticing this, Naomasa follows suit.

"So it's just Chance then. I was wondering when he would make another appearance." Shouta muses. 

He sits back down, motioning for the others in the room to follow, "Chance is another alter that Izuku developed. He was developed that first night Izuku had to sleep alone in his room." He begins, "Where Variant is the one who fights threats, Chance determines whether or not things are threats. He seems to be a very straightforward no nonsense type guy. Despite this his people skills are somewhat lacking." 

"So, is this just a normal thing? Izuku switching in and out with Variant and this Chance guy?" Hitoshi asks. 

Shouta nods, "Essentially, yes. I've mostly just seen Variant and Izuku, Chance doesn't seem like the social type. They will probably be switching out more than normal right now as they adjust to a new setting. This is just their way of processing it all." He tells him, "That said, you both need to prepare yourselves for all aspects of Izuku's adjustment period. While he was cleared to come home, he's far from stable. All I ask is that you two remain flexible and take note of how I handle each situation. Ask questions if you have them. Trust me, I know, it's a lot." 

There's a brief silence before Naomasa speaks up, "We'll do our best Sho, but you'll have to give us some guidance when the time comes too. Anything you can think to tell us now?" 

Shouta pauses and thinks a moment, "Something I've come to notice is that Izuku often overanalyzes or misjudges situations for the worse. Instead of leaving things up for interpretation, tell him what's going on, what's going to happen, what you're thinking. His anxiety is his biggest enemy right now, so the less unknowns there are involving him and his current situation the better." He explains, "Another thing I know for sure is let him initiate contact. I know he seems like a clingy kid, but that's only when he's in control of the touch he is receiving." He addresses Hitoshi directly, "We all noticed how he jumped when you grabbed his arm earlier Hitoshi. Which isn't your fault, you didn't know. We just need to keep sudden contact to a minimum." 

Hitoshi nods. 

"Lastly, his mood cycles pretty harshly. He'll go from one extreme emotion to the next, and then mellow out. There's times where he will seem like he's in a daze. Just handle him gently in these episodes, don't stimulate him too much. If he wants to just sit there and stare, let him." Shouta instructs, "Although from my experience, when he gets like that he tends to cling to me pretty hard. So it may be a bit before you two have to deal with that directly. Bottom line, if you ever don't know what to do, come get me. Not to sound controlling, but in his mind I am what defines safety and a constant in his life. It's a trauma thing, which we're working on. Hopefully with time the two of you will be added to that list." 

 

Hitoshi just kinda sits there and let all that process. It's becoming very apparent that while Izuku is the same friend Hitoshi knows and loves, he has also changed in a lot of ways. Whatever the case, Hitoshi can handle it. They're brothers now after all. 

                                               

---

It's almost an hour before they see Izuku again. What on earth could be taking an hour to search and check in that room is beyond Shouta. 

But, sure enough, the door opens just far enough for Izuku to poke his head out and call out a hushed, "Zawa..." 

Shouta offers the other two in the room a small smile before getting up and leaving the room. 

He finds Izuku standing in the doorway, curled in on himself and shaking ever so slightly. He has his length of capture weapon around his neck and shoulders as well.

"Izuku? What's the matter? Did Chance find anything wrong?" he asks. 

Izuku shakes his head, "No, it was all safe." He declares softly. 

Well, that's a relief. Shouta doesn't want to think about what would have happened had there been something wrong.

"So what do you need from me then?" Shouta asks. 

Izuku hesitates for but a moment before motioning for Shouta to come closer. Shouta closes the remaining gap between them and crouches down in front of his son. 

Wordlessly, Izuku just presses himself into Shouta's chest and wraps his arm around the hero's neck. 

So that's what it is, he just wants to cling. 

Shouta smiles to himself as he stands up, settling Izuku on his hip. Izuku shifts slightly to get comfortable before burying his face into Shouta's capture weapon.

"You feeling okay, Problem Child? Shouta asks. 

He can feel Izuku nod, " 'kay, jus' tired." He mumbles, voice muffled by fabric. 

"Alright then, how about we go join the others in the living room? You can just sit on my lap and chill for a bit, sound good?" he offers. 

"Mmkay." Comes the quiet response. 

 

So that's what Shouta does, he heads back to the living room and settles them both on the couch. It has been a very long day for Izuku after all. 

---

By the time bedtime rolled around, Izuku was too tired and doped up on meds, between the earlier ones and the immediate side effects of his evening medications, to really put up much of a fuss about sleeping somewhere new, even if it was without Shouta being in the room. 

It was honestly a little concerning in Hitoshi's opinion, to see Izuku so tired and clearly out of it. Although he could get used to his brother being so clingy and cuddly. 

Shouta ended up sitting on the edge of Izuku's bed once Izuku had been tucked in. Izuku was sleeping on the bottom bunk, at the insistence of all the adults involved. Hitoshi decided it wasn't worth putting up a fuss.

He's content to just stay where he is on the top bunk, listening to Shouta murmur assurances to a very tired and more or less sedated Izuku. 

---

Shouta was surprised by how smoothly the bedtime routines had gone. Although smoothly in this context meant guiding Izuku through the motions, Shouta and Hitoshi each having to keep him moving and focused on what he was doing. It's not something Shouta hasn't done countless times at this point, but he still has mixed feelings about it. On one hand, Izuku is absolutely adorable in this state (not that Shouta would admit it out loud), all sleepy-eyed, clingy and somewhat bewildered. On the other hand, there's the fact that this is the result of having medicated Izuku to the point that he is relaxed enough to allow himself to be this vulnerable. 

It's not entirely intentional. A lot of his meds have side effects when first taken that somewhat contribute to this outcome. That said, tonight there is the addition of an extra sedative or sorts. It's really an extra strong anti-anxiety medication, but it's effectiveness really just puts it on par with some low to mid tier sedatives. 

Regardless, Izuku went to bed quite easily, so Shouta now sits on the edge of his bed, running his hands through his kid's hair as he waits for Izuku to finally fall asleep. Every time he gets slightly worked up, bordering on awareness as Variant is probably realizing what's truly happening, Shouta shushes him with assurances and soft words. It doesn't take long for Izuku to finally fall asleep. 

---

When Hitoshi woke up and got out of bed, the first thing he noticed was Izuku is already gone. Izu never really was one to sleep in much. 

Thinking nothing of it, Hitoshi heads into the hall, heading to the bathroom. When finished, he then makes his way down the hall and through the living room to the kitchen. He walks slowly, still waking up and not at all ready for today to be a thing. 

Entering the kitchen, Hitoshi finds Naomasa bustling around the kitchen, presumably making breakfast, and Shouta sitting at the kitchen island, staring into his coffee cup looking half dead. 

"Morning Hitoshi." Naomasa greets. 

"Morning." Hitoshi mutters, taking a seat next to Shouta. He stares at Shouta's coffee longingly. 

Shouta notices and pulls his cup closer to his chest, glaring at the teen. 

"Hitoshi, if you want coffee get your own. Please don't pick a fight with Shouta. It won't end well for any of us." Naomasa cuts in. 

Hitoshi breaks eye contact with the dark haired man, moving to slide off of his bar stool and slouching over to the coffee maker. 

"Izuku is still sleeping I take it?" Naomasa asks, still focused on the stove. 

Hitoshi freezes. 

Izuku isn't out here. But he also isn't in his bed. Shit. 

"No...I thought he was out here with you guys...he wasn't in his bed when I climbed down the ladder." Hitoshi answers hesitantly. 

Suddenly Shouta is wide awake. "I'll be back. Don't follow me." He orders, quickly making his way out of the kitchen and abandoning his coffee. 

"That's concerning. Hopefully Shouta finds him." Naomasa says softly, putting the french toast he was making onto a big plate with the spatula. 

"I should have noticed something was wrong sooner." Hitoshi mutters, disappointed with himself. He should have realized something was off as soon as he got to the kitchen and Izuku wasn't there. 

"None of that now." Naomasa chides, "You're assumption was justified. You had no way of knowing something was wrong when you left the room, not to mention you're just like Shouta before you get coffee. Don't go blaming yourself, I'm sure Shouta will be able to handle whatever it is." 

Hitoshi sighs, gaze still lingering in the direction Shouta sped off in. 

Hopefully Izuku is okay. 

 

---

Shouta doesn't bother knocking when he reaches the boy's room. He just quietly opens the door and immediately starts looking around for Izuku. 

Shouta checks under the bed first, but doesn't find him. He then checks the nook in the corner of the room. Pulling the curtains back, he finds it empty. 

That just leaves the closet then. 

Slowly, Shouta makes his way over to the closet door, which is closed. One of the rules they had set out for the boys was that the closet door was to remain open, or at least unlatched, at all times. And that was with this exact situation in mind. It acts as an instant tell of if Izuku has chosen to hide inside. 

"Izuku?" he calls out. 

He hears shuffling in response to his voice from inside. 

"I'm going to open the door now, okay? It's just me, just Shouta. You're safe, I promise." He assures. 

With that, he opens the door, letting the light from the room seep into the dark closet. What he finds there breaks his heart. 

The first thing Shouta notices are the glowing green eyes, their toxic viridian telling him that Variant is in control. Variant is curled up with his knees pulled to his chest in the back corner of the closet. His breathing is erratic and his whole body trembles while he rocks back and forth in place. One hand is buried in his curls and tugging at them, while the opposite hand claws at his raised arm. Angry streaks of crimson can be seen stretching down his forearm, making Shouta regret removing the once ever present bandages. 

Shouta kneels down slowly in front of him, watching for any signs of further distress. If anything, Variant relaxes slightly at the sight of Shouta placing himself between him and the rest of the world. It's reassuring in a way, a slight show of his trust in the hero. 

"Variant, can you hear me kid?" he asks, keeping his voice gentle and even. 

The kid's rocking stutters slightly, then Variant is pausing briefly in his motions to nod at Shouta, his glassy eyes meeting Shouta's for but a moment. 

"Good, that's good. Can I touch you?" Shouta replies. 

Variant looks confused, but he gives Shouta another permitting nod. 

"Thanks. I'm going to come closer now, tell me if I make you uncomfortable." Shouta tells him. He then works himself further into the closet, coming to rest sitting cross-legged across from Variant, just out of reach of the kid's rocking. 

With telegraphed movements, Shouta reaches out and gently grasps Variant's wrists, giving him plenty of time to object. 

"You need to be gentle with yourself kiddo, you just got healed up from the last time. Take hold of my hands if you need something to grip onto, okay?" he instructs. 

Variant nods again, ceasing his rocking in favor of reaching around his legs to grasp tightly onto Shouta's hands. His nails are digging slightly into Shouta's skin, but he doesn't comment on it. Shouta makes a mental note that they need to cut them again later.

"You need to calm your breathing kid, can you breath with me? In, two three four, out, two three four. In two three four, out, two three four." 

And on it goes. Shouta continues to count, walking Variant through the breathing exercise and working to calm him further. 

Once it's steadied, Shouta speaks again, "There you go, good job. That's better isn't it?" 

"Y-yeah. Thanks Eraser." Variant replies, having found his voice.

"No problem kid." Shouta assures, "Now can you tell me what's got you so worked up?" 

Variant takes another deep breath before speaking, "So Izuku woke up earlier and he had no idea where we were. So he panicked. Chance took control from him to assess the situation, but he couldn't tell us where either, thus deemed in unsafe and handed control off to me. I didn't see an immediate threat in the room so I decided the best course of action would be to hide before anything could get to us." Variant tells him, "But then I kept hearing sounds and voices I didn't recognize, and with Izuku busy firing off 'what ifs' from the mindscape, I ended up panicking too." 

"I see. Well, that's okay. Waking up in a new place can be scary sometimes." Shouta replies. 

And really, he should have seen this coming. Izuku was so out of it yesterday when they got home that it's no wonder none of them remember how they got here. Or where 'here' even is. 

"Sorry Eraser." Variant apologizes. 

"Whatever are you apologizing for Variant?" he asks, caught off guard, though he can't say he's all that surprised. 

"For making you come find us and have to calm us down." Variant explains, looking away. 

Shouta sighs fondly and squeezes the kid's hands in reassurance, "That's nothing to be sorry for, Variant. It's my job to make sure you're safe and help you calm down. Not to mention I care about you and want to help.  Just because you boys are out of the hospital doesn't mean you are suddenly all better. There's still plenty to work on, and I know that. I'm prepared for what's to come Problem Child." 

Variant's attention snaps back up to Shouta, "Problem Child?" he asks. 

"It's a nickname kid, nothing to get worked up over. I can find a new one if you don't like it." Shouta replies. 

Variant shakes his head, "No, it's fine. Problems do seem to be quite common with us. So long as that doesn't annoy you...?" 

"Not at all, kid. I can handle whatever you throw at me." He pauses, "That is not a challenge." 

Variant laughs softly. "Okay, okay, noted. So where are we?" 

Right. "We left the hospital with Nao and Hitoshi yesterday. We brought you home, so we are in my apartment. Right now we are in the closet of the bedroom you are sharing with Hitoshi." Shouta explains. "Any other questions?" 

There's a pause, "Is it- is it safe?" Variant asks hesitantly. 

Shouta smiles, "It's safe kiddo, I promise. No one will hurt you here. " 

The last of the tension drains from Variant's shoulders as he huffs a laugh. "Okay. I trust you." He tells him. 

Then he closes his eyes and he slumps over slightly. When he opens them, the toxic green glow is gone, leaving emerald pools to meet Shouta's steady gaze. 

"Thanks Zawa." Izuku says, having regained control. 

"Anytime, Problem Child. Glad I could help." Shouta replies.

Izuku smiles at the nickname. "Can- can we have a hug?" he asks. 

"Of course. Come- oof." Shouta is cut off from speaking by being nearly tacked by his son. Sighing at Izuku's antics, Shouta simply pulls him fully into his lap and holds him close.  

 

The two just sat there for a while before Shouta spoke up once again, "I think it's about time we make our way out of this closet. You okay to walk, or do you want me to carry you?" he asks Izuku. 

Izuku simply curls further into Shouta, an arm draping around his neck and a hand clutching at the front of his shirt. 

Shouta chuckles, "I'll take that to mean you want me to carry you then." 

Izuku nods from where his face is buried in his chest. 

 

Quietly, Shouta carries Izuku out of the bedroom and into the family room. He's relieved that they could resolve this without the use of sedatives, but he knows that they won't always be that lucky. Hound Dog warned him that there was going to be an adjustment period, one where Izuku's behavior may relapse back for a while. 

And while Shouta knows what to expect and for the most part how to handle it, the real challenge is going to be helping Naomasa and Hitoshi familiarize themselves with Izuku's many moods and behaviors. 

 

Arriving in the family room, Shouta finds Hitoshi and Naomasa sitting on one of the couches. Hitoshi is on his laptop and Nao is reading through a case file that he has spread out on the coffee table. Penguin is sitting on Nao's lap while Fanta and Loud Cloud are curled against Hitoshi on either side of him. Cloud keeps trying to bat his paw at something on the computer screen. 

Hitoshi looks up upon their arrival, opening his mouth to address them. Shouta shakes his head however to stop him. Luckily, Hitoshi seems to take the hint and keeps quiet. That does not, however, stop Loud Cloud from greeting them in his usual obnoxious way. Izuku flinches and curls impossibly closer to Shouta. 

Shouta crosses the family room and settles in between the two on the couch with Izuku in his lap. 

"Nao, can you go grab the medical kit we brought home from the hospital please." Shouta requests. 

His husband looks up from his paperwork and nods, setting down the document in his hand and rising from the couch to go retrieve the requested item. 

"Izuku, I need to see your arm kiddo." Shouta says softly, nudging the kid in his lap slightly. 

Izuku lets out a confused whine at the actions, looking up at Shouta. "What?" 

"Your arm, Izuku. I need to clean up and cover the scratches on it. I'd also like to put the bandages back on both your arms if that's okay." Shouta elaborates. 

The greenette takes a minute to process before he sits up and off of Shouta's chest, removing his arms from where they were tucked between the two of them. He instead turns to lean sideways into Shouta.

Naomasa arrives with the kit and sets it down next to Shouta on the couch then sits on the other side of it to observe. 

Izuku eyes the kid with interest, but doesn't say anything as Shouta opens it up and starts going through it. 

The kit has two compartments, one of which has all the standard first aid kid features, but in addition it has an extra supply of what would be needed to tend to Izuku when he scratches up his arms. There are also several rolls of ace bandages. The other compartment is locked with a biometric lock that's synched with Shouta and Naomasa's fingerprint signatures, which are required to open in. Inside that compartment are the sedative pens, oral sedatives, and other heavier medications that were prescribed to Izuku. 

Shouta quickly sets to work cleaning Izuku's scratches and covering them with gauze. He then grabs some of the ace bandages. 

"I'm going to wrap your arms now, okay Izuku?" Shouta tells his son. 

Izuku nods, but otherwise doesn't stir from his position leaning sideways into Shouta's chest. 

"Why are you wrapping his arms with those, Sho?" Naomasa asks. 

"It's to discourage him from scratching any further. Not only does it cover his skin, but it's a tactile reminder when he goes to scratch." Shouta explains, not looking up from what he is doing. Out of the corner of his eye, Shouta notices that Hitoshi is subtlety watching him.

That said, Shouta has noticed Izuku seems more relaxed and comfortable when his arms are covered.  

Once Izuku's arms are wrapped, Izuku turns back around to face Shouta and burry himself into the man's chest. Shouta settles himself with his arms around Izuku and sits more comfortably on the couch. He closes his eyes and leans his head back. If he's going to be sitting here for a while he might as well take a nap.

---

Shouta is woken up what he thinks is an hour later by Izuku stirring in his lap. Shouta opens his eyes and relaxes his hold on his son. 

Izuku stays silent as he wiggles himself out of Shouta's lap and squishes himself in between Hitoshi and Shouta. Hitoshi looks up at Izuku from the game on his computer. 

Izuku simply curls into Hitoshi's side while asking, "Whatcha playin' Toshi?" 

To Hitoshi's credit, he just rolls with it, "I'm playing Genshin Impact." He tells him. 

"Oh! Is that the game you were telling me about last week on our call?" Izuku questions. 

Hitoshi nods, "Yep, maybe later we can get you set up to play it on your laptop. You can watch me for now if you want though." He offers. 

"Okay!" Izuku chirps, settling in to watch his brother play. 

 

Shouta gives them another 45 minutes to play before looking over to Nao. 

Naomasa meets his eyes and nods, understanding the meaning behind Shouta's look. 

"How about we eat lunch soon boys?" Naomasa asks. 

The two look up at him at the same time. "Sure." Hitoshi answers. 

Izuku on the other hand, doesn't respond, or really look too keen on the idea of eating, which isn't a good sign. 

"It's settled then, I'll go get started on lunch. In the mean time, how about you two boys go and get dressed. You can't stay in your pajamas all day." Naomasa replies. 

"Well we could..." Hitoshi counters. 

"But you won't. Go get dressed please." Shouta cuts him off. 

Izuku giggles softly while Hitoshi sighs, closing his laptop and tucking it under his arm while he stands up. 

"Come on Izu, let's go." He says to his brother. 

Izuku spares a glance over to Shouta before standing up and following behind Hitoshi and out of the room. 

 

 

"It's like nothing even happened." Nao says softly after they're gone. 

Shouta sighs, standing and stretching lightly, "That's how it goes. We'll have to see where his mood goes from here though. It's usually a toss up." He tells him. 

"We shall see then." Nao replies, standing. "I'll get started on food. How about you go get dressed yourself love." He says to Shouta. 

Shouta shrugs, "Just because the kids need to get dressed doesn't mean I do." He argues weakly. 

"Shouta..." Naomasa warns, giving him a look. 

"Alright alright, I'm going." Shouta replies quickly, pecking a kiss on his husband's cheek as he passes. 

---

Hitoshi leads Izuku down the hall and into their room. 

"You feeling okay now Izu?" he asks. 

Izuku hums as he heads over to where his duffle bag sits by the dresser. He hasn't exactly gotten around to unpacking yet. "I'm fine. How about you Toshi? You okay?" he asks, unzipping his duffel bag.  

"I'm fine." Hitoshi replies, digging through his drawer to find a shirt. "Want me to help you unpack after lunch?" 

"Sure! I don't have that much anyway. So it shouldn't take that long." Izuku answers. He takes his pajama shirt off and sets to putting on a different blue one. 

Hitoshi clenches his teeth, doing his best to ignore all the scars littering his brother's body. 

"Don't worry, that will change. Either you'll get dragged out to go shopping or Naomasa will do it for you. I for one, got dragged. That's when I first met Hizashi-san." Hitoshi says to him. 

"Hizashi-san? Who's that?" Izuku asks. 

"Oh. He's one of their friends. He's the one helping me with my training for the entrance exam." Hitoshi explains. 

"Oh yeah! Speaking of, how's that going?" Izuku asks, walking over to Hitoshi, who is pulling a purple hoodie with a cat on it over his head. 

"It's going well. Right now we are still focusing on building muscle mass and endurance. But I can tell I'm getting better. It's slow, but gradual progress either way." Hitoshi explains, standing up. 

"Maybe I'll have to come watch you some time." Izuku replies. 

"You never know, Izu, maybe if you ask you can train with me." Hitoshi replies. 

Izuku frowns, "I highly doubt they're going to want me to learn how to fight." 

"It's always good to know how to defend yourself." Hitoshi counters. 

"Toshi, as far as most people are concerned I'm still a threat." Izuku states. 

Hitoshi shrugs, "Maybe if Variant would behave himself you wouldn't have that problem." 

"Don't even start, Hitoshi, I don't need to hear it from you too." Variant snaps, toxic green eyes glaring daggers at him. 

"I'm just saying." Hitoshi defends. 

"And I'm not listening to it. Save the lecture for the adults to deal out." Variant replies. 

"Okay okay, I was just teasing. No need to get all defensive." Hitoshi relents. 

Variant crosses his arms over his chest., "I'm always defensive. That's my job." 

Hitoshi huffs a laugh, "Oh I'm well aware." He says, "Can we go get food now?" he then asks. 

"Sounds good to me. We're hungry." Variant answers. 

---

Variant ends up staying in control for the duration of lunch. This results in a very confused Naomasa, much to the alter's delight. 

After lunch Naomasa brings up going shopping. Variant doesn't like the idea at all. Izuku on the other hand, does want to go. This results in the two arguing with each other. The other three in the room aren't really sure what to do about it. 

The end result is them compromising on shopping online with Naomasa. Something the man still seems rather thrilled about. 

---

After Izuku and Naomasa finish shopping, Hitoshi and Shouta both decide to go take naps. Naomasa disappears into the home office saying something about 'preparing a disaster court case'. 

So Izuku finds himself in his nook for the first time, laptop on his lap. 

He's decided that since no one is around, he's going to look into the news coverage of the Aldera Incident. It's probably not the greatest idea in the world, but he has to know what's going on. It's not like anyone is telling him anything. 

He needs to know what he's done.

Izuku isn't really sure how to react to what he finds. 

There are plenty of rumors about who he is and what happened to him. As expected they didn't actually release his identity to the public, something he is eternally grateful for. 

They called it a quirk manifestation incident. Which means from the looks of it that means there are no legal charges against him. Izuku isn't sure he agrees with that. Don't misunderstand, he doesn't want to be taken to court or be in any sort of legal trouble. But he killed people. 

~You didn't kill anyone. I did.~ Variant corrects.

*Sure, but that's not something most people would understand.* Izuku replies. 

~We don't need their understanding. We've never had it before, so why start now. We were being hurt, so I made it stop.~ Variant argues. 

The more Izuku looks, the more controversy he sees. There is a lot of outcry for quirk discrimination and bullying awareness because of this. But at the same time there are people saying it makes no difference, Izuku should be punished according to what he did. A lot of people are questioning the whole 'forced quirk manifestation' thing given how old he must be to be in middle school. There's even an interview with Masa talking to a reporter. 

What's more, there was also an investigation launched into Aldera School District as a whole. Which resulted in it being closed down a few weeks ago. Now all those kids have to go to different schools, and all the staff and guilty students have been arrested. 

This means people have been pushing for similar investigations into other schools. Others are questioning how this could be missed. 

Surprisingly, none of the faculty and staff were interviewed. And they can't interview students because they are minors. Izuku doesn't really want to dwell on what would have been said if any of them has been given the chance to speak out. 

 

Then Izuku found it.

An article detailing Bakugo Katsuki's arest a few days ago.

What? 

~Serves him right. Asshole.~ Variant comments. 

Bakugo was arrested independently from when all the other students where punished. Most of them were still under the age of fourteen and wouldn't be tried as adults.  Bakugo on the other hand, is going to be.  

Izuku scrolls through until he finds the charges against Bakugo. 

"Bullying, assault, unauthorized public quirk usage, quirk usage with the intent to harm,  property damage, quirk discrimination, suicide baiting in addition to encouraging, enabling and committing several hate crimes." Izuku mumbles to himself. "That's a lot." 

~Are you surprised? After all the suffering he put us through?~ Variant demands. 

Izuku thinks on it. Is he? He's just so used to Bakugo being untouchable, infallible. He's so used to everyone ignoring the worthless Deku. Now all of a sudden everything that happened is actually wrong. People are actually being punished. 

Its weird. 

~I'm just pissed no one told us any of this was happening.~ Variant snaps. 

*We had bigger things to worry about.* Izuku counters. *Like our sanity.*

~Still, this directly effects us. Maybe they didn't think we could handle it.~ Variant disagrees. 

*I'm not so sure I could have handled it. They probably just didn't want us to worry about it.* Izuku argues. 

~Then why don't you ask Eraser? See what he has to say about it?~ Variant suggests. 

*You sound awfully confrontational Variant.* Izuku points out. 

~I just want to know the truth.~ Variant replies. 

Izuku just wants a break. 

---

By the time dinner rolled around, Izuku had moved on from the Aldera cases to catching up on all the hero fights he missed. It was then he realized that Nedzu still has all his notebooks. The rat was holding on to them for safe keeping, or something like that. 

 

Izuku plugs his laptop in at his desk before making his way over to the bed where Hitoshi is still sleeping. He climbs the ladder and looks onto the top bunk to see Hitoshi sleeping on his stomach. Izuku almost doesn't want to wake Hitoshi up. Almost. Izuku carefully climbs onto the bed with Hitoshi. 

Then flops himself down right on top of his brother. 

Hitoshi groans in response muttering a slurred, "What?" 

"Dinner's ready Toshi." Izuku informs. 

"Great. I'm sleeping. Go away." Hitoshi replies. 

"Nope. Masa said I had to wake you up." Izuku counters. 

Hitoshi groans again, then opens one eye, "You're not going to get off me are you." 

Izuku shakes his head, "Not until you're getting up to go to dinner." 

Hitoshi closes his eye and lays his head back down, "I suppose you make an okay blanket. Good night." 

That's...not how this was supposed to go.

Izuku sighs and climbs back down off the bed. He wanders into the kitchen to find Zawa and Masa waiting for them at the table. 

"Where's Hitoshi?" Masa asks. 

"He won't get up. I tried." Izuku responds. 

Masa sighs and stands up from the table, "I'll handle this." Then he just walks out of the room. 

"That kid is in for a rude awakening. Nao doesn't mess around." Zawa mumbles, "Come sit down Problem Child." 

Izuku spares one last glance in the direction of their room, then promptly sits down across from Zawa. 

A few minutes later, Hitoshi wanders in, followed by a grinning Naomasa. 

Hitoshi flops down into the chair beside Izuku. He then leans over to whisper in Izuku's ear, "Naomasa is scary." 

This earns a snort from Zawa. Izuku doesn't want to know what happened. 

 

Izuku is pleased to discover that they are having Katsudon for dinner. A fact he makes very clear to the others at the table. 

"I'll have to keep in mind that's it's your favorite." Masa says with a smile. 

 

They eat in comfortable silence for a while until Izuku has a thought. 

"Hey Masa?" he begins. 

"Yes Izuku?" Masa replies, focus still on his food. 

"What's the case you were working on about?" he asks. 

"Nothing you need to worry about." The man replies. 

Izuku can feel Variant trying to take control, thus he quickly speaks up, "Is that because it's Bakugo's case?" 

Naomasa pauses with his fork halfway to his mouth. He sets it down while eyeing Izuku in surprise, "Where did you hear that from?" he questions. 

"I, um, may have done a bit of research this afternoon." Izuku tells him. 

"So you decided to look into the Aldera cases yourself then." Zawa clarifies. 

"Yes." Izuku confirms. 

Zawa sets his own fork down, "Can I ask why?" 

"I wanted to know what was happening. And no one had told me anything, so I decided to find my own answers." Izuku explains. 

"Using the media as an information source is dangerous Izuku." Zawa replies. 

Izuku shrugs, "Would you really have told me anything if I asked?" 

Zawa sighs, "You have different priorities right now Izuku." 

"That wasn't an answer Eraserhead." Variant snaps. 

Toxic green eyes meet tired grey. 

"Perhaps. It would have depended on what you wanted to know." Aizawa tells him. 

"Naomasa has been working our case the entire time hasn't he?" Variant demands. 

"He has." Aizawa confirms. 

Variant nods, "Who else?" 

"Nedzu, Hawks and my partner, Tamakawa Sansa." Naomasa answers this time. 

"Why aren't we facing legal charges?" Variant questions. 

"Currently the incident is considered a quirk manifestation incident. Additionally there is the fact you where admitted for psychiatric treatment immediately after the crime and you were deemed to be in a state of psychosis. This was done as an involuntary commitment, and was subject to multiple hearings following admission to determine if you were to continue to receive treatment. Currently, although you where released from inpatient, you are still court ordered to continue outpatient treatment, Shouta was declared responsible for ensuring this was done." Naomasa explains. 

"So we are court ordered to receive psychiatric treatment and nobody bothered to tell us that." Variant responds. 

"You would have received it regardless of the court order, Variant. This is just the process taken instead of you going to jail." Aizawa replies. 

"Okay then." Variant relents, satisfied, "Thank you for explaining." 

"You're welcome," Naomasa says, "Would you like me to keep you updated on Bakugo's case as well when it progresses?" he asks. 

Variant nods, "We would appreciate it. I would appreciate it." 

Naomasa smiles, "That can be arranged. Can we go back to eating dinner before it gets completely cold?" 

Variant cringes, "Sorry, I probably should have waited." 

Aizawa shakes his head, "You wanted answers, I don't see anything wrong with that." 

"If you say so." Variant mumbles. 

---

That night, Izuku went to bed mostly without issue. It took a few repeated reassurances that, yes, the room was safe, and reminders that Shouta was down the hall if he needed anything. 

 

Even so, Shouta was woken up by their bedroom door opening silently. He quickly shuts his eyes again because Izuku seems to be attempting to not wake him up. 

He can hear Izuku tiptoe his way over to Shouta's side of the bed and stop at the bedside. 

Then, the kid leans over and sits himself on the bed. Shouta will admit where he any normal person he wouldn't have been woken up. After all, Nao is still fast asleep. But alas, Shouta is an underground hero with a tendency to be borderline hyper vigilant. 

Having climbed onto the bed, Izuku slides his way over to Shouta and curls himself into the hero's side. Then, all the tension in the kid's body just dissolves. He wiggles a few more times to get comfortable, then goes still. 

Resisting the urge to sigh, Shouta turns over to face the kid and gently wraps his arm around Izuku. 

"Problem Child," he says softly, "If you wanted to sleep with me you could have just asked." 

Izuku tenses, "Sorry..." 

"Nothing to be sorry for kiddo. Can I ask what's got you awake? Are you okay?" Shouta inquires. 

"I think I'm okay? I woke up earlier for no real reason. But then as I was laying there I started to get more anxious. I tried to go back to sleep, but it just kept getting worse. And you said you were down the hall if I needed anything so..." Izuku trails off. 

"So you came and found me. Good job Izuku." Shouta praises. 

"I woke you up though?" Izuku questions. 

"Yes, but I'd rather be woken up by you crawling in bed then Hitoshi reporting you having a panic attack. So you did good." Shouta answers. 

"Oh. Well okay then." Izuku replies, yawning afterward. 

Shouta eyes the clock on the night stand. It reads 2:23am "Time to sleep. It's barely past 2am and we both need it." 

Izuku presses himself closer, "Okay. Night Zawa." 

"Good night Izuku." 

 

Shouta will deny that he slept better after that. He will admit to finding Hitoshi bursting into the room panicking quite amusing. Especially when Nao left the room to search for him before even consulting Shouta. Izuku found it pretty funny too. They ended up searching the entire apartment before coming to get Shouta, and thus finding Izuku. 

It was an interesting start to the day.

 

---

---

The week that followed played out much the same. 

Izuku ended up sleeping with Shouta several times. Variant was found hiding in the closet twice. There were a few more minor episodes, but nothing major. 

Izuku met with Hound Dog twice that week. He seemed to be adjusting pretty well, but it was too early to stop worrying. 

After all, Shouta had to go back to patrolling in a few days. And that was going to be a mess.

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

Me? Shit kinda hit the fan these past two weeks. My godfather/uncle passed away suddenly, which hit really hard because we were really close. This resulted in a spontaneous flight down to the other end of the US. I won't go into detail, but it was a long two weeks, and the whole thing is no where near over. Won't be for a while.

That said, most of this chapter was written while either hiding from my emotions or while on an airplane. And for some bizarre reason my writing is at its best when I'm in some kind of crisis, so there's that.

I was going to make this all fluff, then I ended up researching all the legal proceedings and the whole conversation between Nao and Variant just kinda happened.
You people kept saying no legal repercussions was weird, so here you go. The author spent two hours researching for you, you're welcome.
That said, this is bases of of United States law. I'm sorry, but it was just easier that way. I don't have the time to try to understand Japanese law.

I've started planning the Bakugo case and trial. It's going to be one hell of a ride. But I think we still have another chapter before that. I don't really know.

Oh yeah! CATS! I had a ton of fun writing these cats. We can all thank my awesome and chaotic discord server for helping me come up with all their names and personalities. Special thanks to @Myst and @charlie/ray! You guys where a great help!

Well let me know what you guys think! Thank for reading!

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 13: While We May Be On The Edge

Summary:

While we may be on the edge,
we both made a pledge
It may not be of light,
but it is our fight
~~

Izuku tags along for Hitoshi's training and Shouta goes out on patrol.
How will Izuku handle it all?

Notes:

IM BACK!
Did ya miss me? I hope so.
I missed publishing this exactly two months later by like an hour. It's currently 1 am.

I just suffered through two months of writers block. It was very painful. Then I decided to make this a shorter chapter to kinda ease my way back into it. We can all see that didn't end up happening.
I doubt you guys are complaining.

Oh yeah, WE HAVE SURPASSED 1000 KUDOS!! I can't believe it!!!
Thanks so much! I'm glad you guys love my writing! It means the world to me.

Hopefully this chapter is slightly worth the wait, or at least satisfies you all after so long.
Let me know what you think!
ENJOY

"Alright boys, here's the plan for today." Shouta says as they all are sitting at the table eating breakfast. 

Izuku seems to straighten at this, his formerly half-asleep appearance giving way to one that is more alert and attentive. Hitoshi on the other hand, somehow manages to look even more tired. 

"Shouta and I need to go into the station today for a case meeting," Naomasa begins, then he meets Izuku's eyes, "Bakugo's case meeting that is." 

"Which means Stephan is going to be coming over to watch you both." Shouta finished for him. 

Izuku perks up, "Stephan is coming over?" he asks, sounding excited. 

Shouta nods, "He's one of the few cleared and qualified to watch you. He also volunteered to stay with you boys if we ever needed. That makes him our go to babysitter of sorts." 

"We don't need a babysitter." Hitoshi grumbles. 

"You don't. But we do." Izuku corrects, smiling despite his words. 

Shouta isn't sure how he feels about that comment. Or how he expects Hitoshi to react. 

The purple haired teen just shrugs, "True. It would probably be more fun with him here anyway." 

It's moments like these where Shouta is concerned with how well Hitoshi is taking everything. A discussion for him and Naomasa at a later time. 

"And Hitoshi, Hizashi will be coming by to pick you up and take you to training since I can't drop you off today." Naomasa tells the kid. 

"Okay." Hitoshi replies simply. 

"Can I come!?" Izuku exclaims immediately after. 

Hitoshi eyes them both, waiting for an answer. 

Shouta and Naomasa share a look, Nao nods at him. 

"We are fine with it, but that will ultimately be up to Stephan and Hizashi who will actually be there." Shouta answers, then he turns his attention to Izuku, "That aside, will you be okay while I'm gone for the day?" he asks. 

With a nod, it's Chance who answers him, "We will be fine, Aizawa. We all trust Stephan enough to keep us safe." He tells the hero. 

Shouta once again finds himself immensely grateful for Stephan's existence in their lives. He certainly has been making a lot of things easier when it comes to Izuku.

"Excellent. We still have another two hours before he gets here. You boys might as well find a way to entertain yourselves until then." 

---

Stephan knocks on the door then waits for it to be answered. 

A few moments later, the door opens slowly to reveal Aizawa in full hero costume. 

"Stephan." He greets in an even tone. 

"Eraserhead." Stephan replies much the same. 

Aizawa steps back, "Come on in. We are just about ready to leave." He says, before turning and walking into the apartment. 

 

Stephan is barely two steps past the door when he is barreled into by a smaller body. 

"Steve! You're here!" Izuku exclaims, wrapping his arms around the blonde's torso. 

Stephan sputters at the nickname. Currently, Erin is the only person to call him that, other than his parents before they passed. It's a nickname he holds close to his heart, one he only allows Erin to keep using because of their long history together.

Well... he supposes he can make an exception for Izuku.

Stephan returns the hug with minimal hesitancy. He looks up to find Aizawa watching him, one eyebrow raised in a skeptical sort of look. 

Oh how Stephan wants to smack that look off his face. It's not as if Aizawa isn't guilty of being soft with Izuku as well. 

 

"It's good to see you too Izuku! How have you been buddy?" Stephan asks the kid. 

"We're doing good!" Izuku replies. 

'We'? That's new. 

"That's good to hear! You wanna let me go so I can come inside?" he suggests. 

Izuku squeaks and releases Stephan then steps back, "Sorry Steve." He mumbles, looking down at the floor. 

Stephan smiles and shakes his head, "Not a problem Izu. I'm happy you're so excited to see me." 

Stephan follows Izuku further into the apartment. He walks into the family room to see Hitoshi looking half dead on the couch. 

Izuku doesn't seem to care about this fact as he bounces over to his brother and shakes him. "Toshi! Toshi wake up! Stephan is here!" he exclaims excitedly. 

Hitoshi lets out a long disgruntled groan in response, not even bothering to open his eyes. 

Izuku stands up and frowns at him (read: pouts). "Toshi! Wake up!" he says with more insistence. He then proceeds to perform a full body flop onto his dozing brother. 

Hitoshi lets out an 'oof' upon impact before wrapping his arms around Izuku and pinning him between himself and the couch. 

"Shhhh. It's too early for this Izu. Go back to sleep with me." He slurs. 

Izuku giggles but, surprisingly, doesn't try to escape the taller teen's hold. 

 

"Oh hello Stephan. It's good to see you." Tsukauchi greets as he walks into the room, dressed fully for work. 

He then eyes the two boys on the couch, "I suggest you just leave them be. Hitoshi will manage to force Izuku back to sleep with him and it will give you an hour or two of peace." He says chuckling, "It will also mean that Hitoshi will actually be functional later." 

Stephan nods, "If you say so." 

"Why don't you come into the kitchen. We can go over a few things while I wait for Shouta." Tsukauchi offers. 

Stephan nods and follows him out of the family room. 

---

Shouta and Naomasa stand at the door, Stephan having followed to see them out. 

"Try not to worry too much while you're gone, Eraser. I've got this handled." Stephan tries assuring him. 

"And if something goes wrong you call me. Got it?" Shouta insists. 

Is he protective? Maybe a little. 

Stephan chuckles, "I got Eraser. Go do your job. I'll take care of your kids." He assures. 

"You'd better." Shouta near threatens. 

Okay a lot. 

 

"I almost forgot. Stephan, Hizashi is stopping by to pick up Hitoshi for their usual training session." Naomasa informs him. 

"Ah, Present Mic. I haven't seen him in a while." Stephan comments. 

Shouta gives him a look. "If Izuku still wants to go with them, that's fine. You just need to be with him at all times." 

Stephan nods, then meets Shouta's eyes, a question clear on his face. 

A beat. Two beats. Three. 

Shouta sighs, "Do you even know how to train a child in self defense?" he asks. 

"You know this wouldn't be the first time I've taught one of our kids to defend themselves Tired." Stephan replies. 

This is true. As Chaotic, Stephan has helped train kids in the Questionable Quirks server in self defense on many occasions. 

"Fine. But only the basics. Get him started, I want and need to be there for the rest of it." Shouta instructs. 

"You got it. I won't let you down Eraser." Stephan replies, looking somewhat pleased.

"I don't need to tell you what will happen if Izuku gets hurt." Shouta states. 

Stephan shakes his head, "I think Variant can handle threatening me just fine." 

"Are you prepared to handle Variant as well should he decide to make an appearance?" Shouta asks. 

"I am. The two of us have come to something of an understanding thanks to our little...altercation." Stephan answers with a smirk. 

Shouta would call the incident at the beginning of Izuku's hospital stay more than just an 'altercation'. 

"Good. I'm trusting you with this then Stephan. Don't make me regret it." Shouta responds. 

"You won't, I promise." Stephan says sincerely, meeting Shouta's harsh gaze with a steely look of his own.

"We'll be off then. Thanks again Stephan." Naomasa cuts in. 

He takes Shouta's hand and leads, or more accurately, drags, his husband the rest of the way out the door and down the hall out of sight. 

 

Stephan takes a moment to himself before making his way back into the apartment and settling on the non occupied couch. He is soon joined by the cats that aren't already cuddling beside or on the two now napping teens. 

---

 

Tsukauchi did end up being right, Izuku and Hitoshi slept on the couch for another hour or so before waking back up. This time it was noticeable how much more awake Hitoshi is this time. 

And additional half hour later has the two sitting on the couch, both with their laptops on their laps as they play a game with each other. Stephan's heard of Genshin, but he's never actually played it. He unfortunately doesn't have a lot of time to play video games anymore. 

A sudden series of knocks then the ringing of the doorbell has everyone's attention shifting in the direction of the door. A second ring has Izuku up and his feet and bolting out of the family room before either Stephan or Hitoshi can try to stop him. 

Hitoshi sighs, "Shouta and Naomasa specifically don't use the doorbell so they don't startle Izuku. They always just knock  to announce that they're home and entering the apartment." He explains, closing his and Izuku's laptops before standing up.

"So the doorbell ringing tells him that someone else is at the door, and someone new is someone to be feared in his mind." Stephan finishes, also getting up off the couch, "Why don't you go check on him while I handle Yamada." 

"Okay. Try to keep him a quiet as possible." Hitoshi replies, heading out of the room. 

"I can try, but we both know that Yamada is anything but quiet." Stephan replies, walking in the opposite direction.

 

Stephan arrives and the door and opens it just in time to see Yamada reaching to press the doorbell a third time.

Dropping his hand, the man gives him a breaming smile, "Stephan! It's good to see you my dude!" 

Stephan sighs fondly, "Yes yes, hello. Can you try to keep your voice down please? You already scared Izuku off ringing the doorbell." 

Yamada flinches, "Did I? Dang I didn't mean to scare the listener. Is he okay?" he asks as he bends down to take his shoes off in the entryway. 

"Hitoshi went to go check on him, so we shall see I suppose. For now we can go wait in the kitchen or the family room. Stephan tells him. 

---

Hitoshi knocks on their closed bedroom door. "Izuku? I'm coming in." He announces. 

He silently opens the door and closes it behind him. The first place he checks is the closet. And sure enough, the door is shut tight. 

Hitoshi stops in front of the door and knocks, "Izuku? You there?" he calls out. 

After a few long moments, the door unlatches and drifts open slightly. Taking that as permission to enter, Hitoshi opens it and looks inside. Izuku is huddled in the corner as expected. 

"You okay over there Izu?" he asks softly. 

"'Who was it at the door?" an even voice asks. So it's Chance that's fronting then. 

"Yamada Hizashi, he's Present Mic. You know, the same one who's helping me train for UA?" Hitoshi answers. 

"Is he safe?" Chance asks. 

Hitoshi nods, "Yamada wouldn't hurt a fly. Although that might just be because he's scared of bugs. But still, he means well and is pretty harmless. He's just really loud most of the time." 

Chance sighs, "I'll take your word for it I suppose." He relents. Then he closes his eyes. 

Hitoshi waits patiently for Izuku to come back. 

"Toshi?" Izuku questions. 

"I'm here Izu." He answers. 

Then he's catching Izuku as he dives at Hitoshi, shaking slightly. 

"You're okay, you're safe Izu. I won't let anything happen to you." Hitoshi soothes. 

Izuku nods into his chest. "I know that I just... It's hard not to be scared all the time Toshi." He admits. 

"And that's okay. That's what the rest of us are here for." Hitoshi assures him, "You think we can go see Yamada now. I'll be with you the whole time. And Stephan will be there too." 

There's a pause while Izuku thinks it over then, "Okay. I think I'm ready." Comes the softy reply. 

Hitoshi smiles, "Awesome. Let's get off the floor then. We're gonna have to stick some pillows in here if you're going to keep hiding in here. It would be far more comfortable that way." He teases. 

Izuku giggles, and the sound is music to Hitoshi's ears. 

---

Hizashi tried not to beat himself up as he waits in the kitchen with Stephan. Truth be told, he feels terrible. He didn't mean to scare Izuku, honest! He just rang the doorbell like he always does. And it's not like anyone told him not to. So really, he can't blame himself now can he? 

"I can practically hear your thoughts Yamada. Calm down. Hitoshi will bring Izuku out soon. You did nothing wrong." Stephan assures him. 

"I know, but still. Not a very good first impression is it?" Hizashi replies. 

Stephan shakes his head, "Maybe not. But you being a hero will probably make up for it." He tells him. 

There's the sound of a door opening and footsteps coming from down the hall. The two adults look over to the doorway expectantly. 

They don't have to wait long before Shinso walks in with Izuku practically hiding behind him, arms wrapped around Shinso's left arm. 

Shinso smiles at Hizashi, "Hello Hizashi-san." He greets. 

"Hey Shinso! How are you listener?" Hizashi asks. 

Shinso seems to relax ever so slightly. "I'm good." He pauses, "This is Izuku. I don't think you two have met have you?" he says, pulling his arm, and by extension Izuku, out from behind him. 

Izuku obeys reluctantly, staring up at Hizashi with a shy smile. 

Hizashi crouches down so he's eye level with Izuku, "Hey there little listener. My name's Yamada Hizashi. You can call me whatever you like, I'm not fussy." 

Izuku straightens his posture slightly, "You're Present Mic." He declares. 

Hizashi beams, "That's me! Though I'm not surprised you recognized me. That analysis you did of me was rockin!" he exclaims, albeit at a much lower volume than usual. 

Izuku looks away, blushing, "T-thanks. I like you're quirk. It was fascinating to analyze." He mumbles. 

"Thanks buddy! I'm glad I got to try out some of your suggestions. Some of them were really helpful and definitely things I didn't think of before." 

"He is pretty smart." Stephan agrees, "I bet he'd even be able to help out with Hitoshi's training if we let him. What do you think Mic? Can Izuku and I tag along with you to UA?" Stephan asks with a sly grin. 

Hizashi thinks a moment, "Did Shouta give his permission?" he asks, skeptical. 

Stephan nods, "He did. So long as I go with him, Izuku is allowed to come with you two." 

Hizashi narrows his eyes, "You know I'm going to ask Shouta whether or not that's true right?" he counters. 

"I am well aware. There's no falsehood to my words this time Mic." Stephan insists. Not that it would be the first time Stephan has tricked him.

"This time." The voice hero mutters, earning him giggles from the two boys, "Well I don't have a problem with it then. It'll be nice to have some company for once, won't it Hitoshi?" he says, addressing the purple haired teen.

"Yeah, I guess it will be nice." Hitoshi replies, then he turns to face Izuku, "Hear that Izu? They said you can come." 

"Awesome!" Izuku exclaims, bouncing with excitement. 

"If you're going to come then you need to put something more suitable on Izuku." Stephan tells him. 

"Oh, right. I'll go do that then." Izuku replies, calming down some. 

Hizashi smiles, "How about you help him out Hitoshi? You've got to go get ready as well, yeah? We'll wait out here in the kitchen for you two." 

Hitoshi nods at him, "Come on Izu." He then says, taking Izuku by the wrist with telegraphed movements and then all but dragging his brother down the hall. 

 

Once they're out of earshot, Hizashi all but squeals, "He's so cute!" 

Stephan sighs, "He really is. That opinion might change if you get to meet Variant though." He warns. 

"I somehow doubt that." Yamada replies, "So what are your plans for Izuku when we get to the gym?" 

Stephan straightens, "I was told I could get him started with the basics, so stretches and simple exercises. Anything actually combat related is required to have Eraser present for safety reasons. Inui had insisted on that." Stephan tells him. 

"Sounds like a plan. I'll try to keep what we work on combat wise to a minimum then. Hitoshi is still in need of strength training anyhow." Hizashi tells him. 

Stephan shakes his head, "I don't think that's necessary. Izuku is so excited, you might as well let him see the progress Hitoshi has been making. And with that kids talent for analysis you never know what he might be able to contribute." 

Hizashi thinks a moment, "I guess you're right. I can ask Hitoshi if he's up for quirk training then today. We haven't really done much of it really, but maybe he'll be more comfortable with Izuku around." 

 

"We're ready!" Izuku's voice interrupts their discussion. 

They look over to see both boys entering the room. Izuku is this time wearing a pair of workout pants and a t-shirt that says 'jersey' on it. Seriously though, where does Izuku find all these shirts? 

Stephan tries not to dwell on all the scars that are visible on his arms now that Izuku isn't wearing long sleeves or bandages to cover his arms. 

"Awesome!" Hizashi exclaims, "Well if you two listeners are ready to go, we'll head out now yeah?" 

Both boys nod and Hitoshi grabs his bag. They then follow the adults out of the apartment. 

---

Izuku adjusts his hold on Hitoshi's hand. 

He's excited to be going out, but he'd be lying if he said the prospect didn't make him nervous. At least they're driving instead of taking the train. Izuku doesn't think he could handle taking the train right now. 

Hitoshi said that they are going to be using one of the gyms at UA. Izuku can hardly believe it, he gets to go to UA! This is like a dream come true. It would be even better if he gets to see Nedzu while he's here. He doesn't think that's likely, however. Shame, he loves seeing Nedzu. 

"You okay Izuku?" Hitoshi asks, breaking him from his thoughts. 

Izuku turns his attention to him and nods, "Yep, I'm okay. Just a little nervous." He admits. 

"Let me know if that changes okay? I'm here if you need me." Hitoshi replies. 

Izuku smiles in thanks. This is why he loves Hitoshi, he's always there for him. 

~He doesn't hover though. Which is nice.~

<You know they only hover because they want to make sure we're okay. I don't really see the problem with it.> 

*I don't really mind it either. They have good reason to worry about us.* 

 

Izuku returns his attention to what's passing outside the car window. It's still a bit surreal being out of the hospital. 

---

Izuku can't believe he's at UA! This is so exciting! 

~Calm down Zu. It's just a school.~ Variant teases. 

*No. It's UA. There's a difference between UA and other schools.* Izuku corrects. 

<If you say so.> Chance replies. 

 

Izuku keeps hold of Hitoshi's hand as they follow Yamada up to the school from the staff parking lot. 

"Shinso didn't need a pass to get inside the first time he came, so I'm willing to bet you won't need one either Izuku." Yamada tells them as he scans his staff ID, "You'll probably need to wait till I can get you a guest pass Stephan." 

Stephan shakes his head and reaches into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. He then produces a UA special permissions pass from it and scans it. "Nope, I'm good. Nedzu gave this to me ages ago for when I would come to Erin's tea time with him." He explains. 

"Oh okay then." Yamada replies, sounding unsure of the situation. He then opens the door and leads the way inside the building. 

Sure enough, Hitoshi and Izuku walk in without any issues. 

Izuku looks around wide eyed as they make their way down the halls and over to where the gyms are. Yamada scans his ID again to gain access to one of the gyms and holds the door open for them to enter. 

It's absolutely huge inside, various training equipment scattered about the large space. 

 

"Go ahead and set your bag down against the wall Shinso, you know the drill." Yamada instructs. 

Hitoshi nods and jogs over to the side of the door and drops his bag. He then joins them where they are standing in the middle of the room. 

"So. Stephan and I were thinking you might want to work on quirk training since Izuku is here today, what do you think Shinso?" Yamada begins.

Hitoshi thinks a moment, glancing at Izuku. "I guess that's fine. Sound good Izu?" Hitoshi asks, smirking. 

"Absolutely! You know I've been waiting for a chance to test a few theories I have Toshi." Izuku replies. 

~Hitoshi, you should run. Run while you can.~ 

"Is it even really a question if Izuku wants to work with quirks?" Stephan points out. 

"Not really. I was more asking out of formality than anything." Hitoshi replies. 

"Well if everyone is ready, let's get started!" Yamada shouts. 

                        

---

                                                                           

Over the course of the next hour, they run through a variety of tests relating to Hitoshi's quirk. Izuku comes to decide he quite likes being under the influence of Hitoshi's quirk. When Toshi takes control it calms his mind, silencing all the anxiety, fear and paranoia that's always buzzing around his thoughts. It's quite similar to how it feels when Variant takes control by force, its a weird fuzzy and floaty feeling. One that Izuku takes comfort in. 

Hitoshi already explained that he has a harder time initially taking control of Izuku than he does other people. Izuku thinks that's because he's not the only 'person' inside his head, so Hitoshi has to expend extra effort in order to isolate Izuku's specific consciousness to brainwash.

Interestingly enough, Izuku can still hear and talk to Variant and Chance when Hitoshi is in control. Which gives Izuku one more question he wants to see about answering. 

"Okay, so I want to see what happens if Variant or Chance start fronting after you use your quirk on me Toshi." Izuku tells him. 

"An interesting question. But what brought this on?" Stephan asks. 

"When I'm under the influence of Hitoshi's quirk I can still hear Variant and Chance talking in my head. Which implies that I'm the only one Toshi is actually taking control of. I want to see what happens when I'm not the one fronting anymore." 

"Okay... Well, we can try it I guess." Hitoshi comments. "Ready Izu?" he asks. 

"Ready!" Izuku answers, then his mind goes fuzzy and floaty yet again.

*Go ahead Variant!* Izuku tells him. 

Variant huffs, ~Fine.~ 

Variant pulls Izuku back into the mindscape and takes front himself. "I'm here." He deadpans. 

Hitoshi then cries out and grabs his head. "Ow." 

Variant and Izuku react similarly as they are forced to switch places suddenly. 

"Ouch. That hurts." Izuku mumbles. 

Hitoshi groans, "Tell me about it. I don't think the connection snapped. I think it just became significantly more difficult to maintain control over you Izu." He explains. 

"Interesting." Izuku replies, writing everything down in his notebook. He had shoved it into Hitoshi's bag to bring with them before they left. 

"You boys okay?" Yamada asks. 

Izuku nods, "Variant and I were forced to switch back as soon as the connection was severed. It was more jarring than painful. It was similar to when Zawa uses his quirk on Variant." 

"I'm okay." Hitoshi tells him, "I'm thinking only one more test though. I'm reaching my limit for today." 

"Gotcha. Then the last thing I want to try is if you can command me to switch places with Variant. Is that okay?" Izuku asks. 

"I guess. But that's it then. After that we train in some other way." Hitoshi answers. 

"Okay!" Izuku chips. 

"Ready Izu?" Hitoshi asks for the billionth time that day. 

"Ready!" Izuku replies. And once again his head is fuzzy and floaty. 

 "Switch places so Variant is fronting." Hitoshi then commands. 

What follows is bizarre. Izuku feels his consciousness shoved from the front and back into the mindscape. Variant for his part, is dragged out to front. 

"Ow." Variant groans. "That was not pleasant." 

Hitoshi only nods stiffly, fists and teeth clenched. "Releasing." He manages to warn. 

This time however, Izuku isn't forced to switch back to fronting. 

"I'm still here." Variant tells them. 

"Really? That's unexpected." Stephan comments, "I would have thought it would force you two to switch back like it had last time." 

"Nope. Izuku is still in the mindscape, rambling on about this turn of events." Variant says. 

~Zu. Get back out here.~ 

Variant closes his eyes and Izuku opens them. 

"That was so cool! The switch was uncomfortable but it wasn't temporary like I expected." Izuku explains. 

"I also managed to keep hold of you for a bit longer. So that proves that I was right. The connection doesn't automatically sever when you're not fronting." Hitoshi adds. 

Izuku nods thoughtfully as he starts writing. 

"So you got your answers then." Yamada cuts in. "Let's take a break then we can start some physical training. Nothing too crazy since we did quirk training already, but we need to do something today." He instructs. 

"Okay. A break would be nice." Hitoshi replies. 

Izuku on the other hand, is far to engrossed with his notes to even notice they're talking. 

"Come on Izu. Let's go sit down." Hitoshi interrupts, grabbing him by the shoulders and steering him towards the wall. 

Izuku goes willingly and lets himself be guided to sit down on the floor.

                                                               

---

Fifteen minutes later, Izuku is still sitting against the wall, now watching Hitoshi and Yamada work through a warm up routine. He supposed this is the part where he just sits off to the side and watches. 

Stephan makes his way over to him. 

"Alright Izuku, it's about time we get started with our own stuff." Stephan says to the wide eyes teen. 

Izuku looks up at him, confused, "You mean we're not just here to watch?" he asks. 

"Nope! I have my own stuff I get to work on with you. And don't worry, it's all sanctioned by Eraser, so neither of us will be getting into trouble for it." Stephan assures him. 

"Zawa said you could train us?" Izuku asks in awe. 

Stephan gives him a wide grin, "He said I could start training you. He's going to have to be the one to train you in the combat stuff. I just get to ease you in with various stretches and exercises." He elaborates. 

"We get to learn combat!?" Izuku exclaims in shock. He's trying not to get his hopes up here. There's no way they would let him learn how to fight, right? 

~They're too scared of us to actually teach us how to be dangerous.~

<I think you mean they're scared of you Variant. You're the one who's violent.>

*I think we're plenty dangerous as it is.*

 

"That's correct. We've decided as a means to help you feel safe and keep yourself safe that we are going to teach you self defense. I trust you don't have a problem with that?" Stephan answers. 

"Nope!" Izuku chirps, bouncing in place. "You said Zawa has to be the one to teach us though?" 

Stephan nods, "That's one of Hound Dog's main rules, yes. It's for the sake of your stability and for everyone's safety." 

<See Variant, they don't trust you to not cause problems.> 

~Hey! I'm not that bad! It was one time!~

Izuku giggles, *Variant, you getting violent is the whole reason we ended up with Zawa and in the hospital in the first place. You're the dangerous one!*

~That's right! I'm the reason we met Eraser and thus why we are now safe. You should be thanking me!~

"What's so funny Izuku?" Stephan dares ask. 

Izuku jolts as a result of having his internal conversation interrupted. 

~Rude. We're trying to talk here.~

<Oh hush.> 

"Chance is teasing Variant about being the reason Zawa has to be around when we learn to fight." Izuku explains. 

Stephan chuckles, "Well he's not wrong. We may have come to an understanding, but everyone else is still wary of your protective counterpart." 

"And so they should be." Variant snaps. 

"See? This is what I'm talking about. You're very quick to start a fight and you come across as rather aggressive." Stephan replies, seemingly unfazed by Variant's sudden appearance. 

*Hey! I wanted to train with Steve!* Izuku whines from the mindscape. 

~Let me have a turn while I still can. You know Eraser probably won't let me when we are with him.~ Variant argues. 

Stephan eyes him warily, "I take it you're going to be the one I'm training?" he asks. 

Variant nods, "You'll actually let me train right? Because I doubt Eraser will be willing to let me for a while yet."  

He gets a shrug in response, "I know you won't try to hurt me. And if you do I'll just have to subdue you just like last time." Stephan decides. 

Variant isn't sure how he feels about that statement. 

"Well if you're ready then, let's get started!" Stephan shouts. 

And so it begins.

---

Izuku ended up falling asleep on Hitoshi during the car ride home. Stephan decides not to wake him up and to instead carry him inside and lay him down on the couch. Hitoshi takes up vigil beside him. 

Yamada had offered to stay and hang out with them, but Stephan declined. He didn't know how Izuku would react to someone he doesn't know very well being in the apartment when he wakes up. Izuku is always more...vulnerable when he is first waking up. 

It was pretty adorable watching Izuku cuddle his way further and further on top of Hitoshi in his sleep. Stephan found it especially endearing when Hitoshi eventually just pulled Izuku into his lap then just went back to whatever he was doing on his phone. 

---

There's a soft knock at the front door before it opens. In walks Aizawa and Tsukauchi, having finally returned home. Tsukauchi smiles at the sight that greeted him upon walking into the family room. 

"Looks like you wore both of them out." He comments softly. 

Stephan looks over to see Hitoshi having fallen asleep from his place under Izuku. He smiles. "Yeah, they had fun today that's for sure." 

Aizawa snorts when he joins them in the room. "You killed my kids Stephan. I thought I told you to keep them safe." He says sarcastically. 

Stephan sighs, "They're fine. You're such a dad Eraser." He teases in reply. 

Aizawa glares at him and opens his mouth to retort. 

"He really is a dad." Tsukauchi agrees, putting his arm around Aizawa's waist, "And there's nothing wrong with that." He assures, pressing his lips to Aizawa's temple briefly.

Aizawa seems to lose the fight in him thanks to his partner's actions. 

Stephan checks his watch, "Well I had best be getting going. See you guys next time." He says as he stands up from the couch.

Tsukauchi frowns, "Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" he offers. 

"No, Erin has off patrol tonight and I'd never hear the end of it if I wasn't home to spend time with her." Stephan replies, shaking his head, "Thanks for the offer though. Maybe next time." 

"I'll walk you out." Tsukauchi tells him, releasing Aizawa, who makes his way over to the kids. 

 

"Thanks again Stephan. We really appreciate it." The detective tells him as Stephan puts his shoes on. 

"It's really no problem. I've come to be quite fond of Izuku, so I don't mind. Besides, he needs all the support he can get right now." Stephan replies. 

"That's certainly true." Tsukauchi agrees. "I know he loves having you around." 

Stephan smiles as the man opens the door, "Oh trust me, I noticed." He pauses, "Have a good night." 

---

Pretty soon it was time for Izuku and Hitoshi to go to bed. 

The routine starts with Izuku taking all of his medications. 

"Izuku, I'm going to give you something stronger for your anxiety to help you sleep while I'm gone tonight, okay?" Shouta tells him. 

Izuku nods, "Okay Zawa." 

The fact that Izuku doesn't mind taking medication certainly makes things so much easier.

Once finished, Izuku hops down from the stool at the kitchen island and takes hold of Shouta's sleeve. Shouta hides a smile in his capture weapon. He knows what Izuku is doing. Izuku is going to cling to him for a long as humanly possible. 

And sure enough, Izuku keeps hold of Shouta in one way or another the entire time. He twists his hand into the hem of Shouta's shirt while brushing his teeth and then having the bandages put on his arms. He alternates which hand is holding the end of Shouta's sleeve while getting changed into his pajamas. Izuku then all but drags Shouta down to sit on the side of his bed as he climbs in under the covers. 

By this point, all his meds have taken effect, the various side effects combined with the stronger anxiety medication leaving Izuku droopy eyed and disoriented. Even still Izuku has yet to release his hold on Shouta.

"You gotta let go of me now Izuku." Shouta tells him softly. 

Izuku shakes his head, "You'll leave." 

"You'll be sleeping while I'm gone Izuku. And I can come and check on you when I get home okay? You have Hitoshi above you and Nao down the hall to keep you safe." Shouta assures him. 

"But will you be safe Zawa? You gotta come back okay? You gotta stay safe." Izuku insists, words slurring slightly. 

"I promise I'll stay safe Izuku. And you gotta promise me you'll get some sleep." Shouta replies. 

Izuku nods, closing his eyes, "I'll try Zawa. Can you stay with me till I fall asleep?" he asks softly. 

Shouta nods, "Of course kid. I'll stay." 

 

So Shouta sits next to Izuku, running his hand through his verdant curls. Izuku simply stares back at him unblinkingly for the longest time.

"Close your eyes Izuku." Shouta urges, reaching his other hand to trace over the boy's cheeks and under his sleep filled eyes. 

Having lost the fight to stay awake thank to the gentle touches, Izuku's eyes flutter closed and eventually his breathing evens out and his vice grip on Shouta goes slack. 

Shouta sighs fondly and places a kiss on his son's forehead before making his way silently out of the room. 

---

A half hour later, Naomasa stands with Shouta at the door. 

"You better be careful tonight. It's not just me you get to answer to if something happens." Nao teases, pulling Shouta into a hug. 

"I know Nao, I'll be fine." Shouta says into his husband's shoulder. 

"Don't let your worry for Izuku distract you. I can take care of him just fine till you get home. Focus on your job." Naomasa continues. 

"Okay Nao." Comes the fond reply. 

Naomasa releases his husband, "And go kick some ass. We'll be waiting for you when you get back." 

Shouta smiles and kisses him before turning to the door, "See you later. I love you." 

"Love you too Sho, good luck." 

---

---

Eraserhead has to admit he missed going out on patrol. Don't miss understand, he wouldn't trade the time he spent with Izuku for anything, but he did miss this. The freedom of navigating the city in the night air. The thrill of stopping crime after crime. This is one of the times he most feels like a hero. And as exhausting as it is, he takes pride and a certain level of enjoyment in what he does. 

---

Eraserhead turns around to snag the remaining thug with his scarf only to instead see him be shot down with a familiar arrow. The hero doesn't think he's ever seen the young man miss his mark. Ever. 

Eraserhead looks up in the direction the arrow flew from to see Bow leaning over the edge of a nearby roof. Nodding his thanks to the vigilante, the hero sets to work zip-tying all of the thugs to nearby poles and the dumpster in the alleyway. 

He doesn't need to look behind him to know Bow has made his way down from the roof and has joined Eraserhead on the ground. 

"Where do you get all your energy? You work all day and then have the time and energy left to go out on patrol?" the hero demands of him, attention still focused on the tying the last thug up. 

"I could ask you the same Eraser. It's not like you're any better off that I am when I comes to sleep." Bow replies, "But as for me, I always have the energy to get out of the house and cause some mischief." 

Eraserhead sighs and faces the vigilante, "Even so, it's been quite a while since I've seen you out here. I thought you had plans tonight?" He comments. 

Bow shrugs, "What can I say? Teaching Genius how to fight today left me itching for a real one of my own. I at least waited to Shadow was asleep." 

"She's still going to know you left." Eraserhead points out, "And you enjoyed it that much did you? Why am I not surprised?" he wonders. 

"Because you know me well enough by now to know I can't sit still when I could be out doing something." Bow answers despite the question clearly being rhetorical.

"A logical reason." Eraserhead concedes, "I have two more hours left. Are you coming or not?" he then asks. 

Eraserhead has no intention to arrest him. Bow does good work in the areas that underground heroes just aren't enough. And besides, he knows full well Bow can handle himself in a fight. (It has nothing to do with the fact that Izuku would be heart broken if Stephan couldn't come see him anymore. Nothing at all.)

A mischievous grin breaks out on Bow's masked face, "Damn right I'm coming." 

---

---

Naomasa wakes up to someone shaking his shoulder. 

"Naomasa, wake up. You gotta wake up, something's wrong with Izuku." A voice insists. 

Izuku. Right. Shouta isn't here. 

Naomasa opens his eyes and sits up. Hitoshi stands back as he does so. 

"Hitoshi? What's going on?" Naomasa asks, sleep still evident in his voice. 

"Izuku woke up and started freaking out. He's talking to himself and I think whoever is fronting keeps changing. When I left he had started rocking and scratching his arms." Hitoshi explains, sounding worked up. 

Naomasa nods. "Okay, okay. We expected something like this to happen." He begins. "You can sleep here or on the couch, either one. I'm going to go take care of Izuku." 

Hitoshi nods, "Okay. I'll probably just sleep in here. Good luck." 

Naomasa stands up from the bed, "Thanks. Don't stay up all night worrying Hitoshi. He's going to be fine." 

Hitoshi only nods again before taking Naomasa's place on the bed. 

Naomasa then quickly makes his way out of the room. Time to go help Izuku.

---

Naomasa walks into the dark room. The only sound is Izuku's low mumbling and the faint creaking of the bed as he rocks back and forth. Admittedly something like this happening was one hundred percent expected when Shouta left for patrol.

Naomasa slowly makes his way over the where his son is positioned, being sure to make some noise so as not to startle the kid with his arrival. As he gets closer he can see Izuku rocking back and forth and clawing at his arms. He can also hear what Izuku is saying. 

"Not safe. We're fine. No we're not. We're at home. No Eraser. Need Zawa. Never safe. Safe here. Not safe." And his words cycle like that in a circle. From the sounds of it he's switching between Izuku, Variant and Chance repeatedly.

Naomasa reaches the bed and slowly sits down. "Hey Izuku. What's going on buddy?" he asks softly. 

Izuku's rocking pauses for but a moment before resuming. "Masa is here. Tsuka is here. Is he safe? He is safe. It's okay now. No, it's not. No Zawa. Help. Help. Help." He says, repeating his plea for help over and over again. 

So its gonna be that kind of night then. Time for damage control. 

"I'm here Izuku. What do you need right now." Naomasa inquires. 

Izuku continues rocking. "Want to sleep. Can't sleep. Tired, so tired. Must stay awake. Masa's here. Tsuka's here. Safe? Not Safe. Tired, need sleep. Need to watch. Must stay alert." And he keeps going. 

"You want to go to sleep but are too afraid to?" Naomasa tries. 

Izuku nods, still rocking. 

"Well how about if I stay with you till Shouta comes back? Will that work for you?" Naomasa offers.

Izuku stops rocking to think, clawing becoming more harsh. Naomasa gently grabs the kid's wrists and pulls his nails out of his already bleeding arms. Even though Shouta had wrapped Izuku's arms in his bandages to try and keep him from scratching, Izuku has managed dislodge them and get to the scarred skin of his arms regardless. 

"You need to stop scratching Izuku. You're causing some serious damage." Naomasa says to him. 

Izuku stares at him with a mumbled, "I know." 

"So what do you think, you want me to stay with you tonight?" Naomasa asks again. 

Izuku nods shakily, "Please. Not safe. Help." 

Naomasa smiles, "That's what I'm here for. Lets go get your arms taken care of first though, alright?" 

Izuku nods again, but doesn't say anything, so Naomasa lifts the boy into his arms and carries him out of the room and over to the kid's bathroom. He then sets Izuku down on the closed toilet. Izuku however, continues to hold tight to his shirt. 

Naomasa takes hold of his hands and gently thumbs circles across the backs of them. "I need you to let go Izuku so I can get what I need to patch up your arms. Can you do that for me?" 

Izuku blinks a few times, his words processing at a snails pace. He eventually releases his death grip from Naomasa's shirt. When he then goes to claw at his arms again, Naomasa quickly catches his hands to stop him. He grabs a sponge from under the sink and places it in Izuku's grasp. 

"Try tugging on that instead while I get what we need." He instructs. 

Izuku then shifts his focus to the sponge, tugging and squeezing the sponge and tracing his fingers across it's textured surface. 

Once Naomasa has what he needs, he gently takes one of Izuku's arms in hand and starts washing the blood off and applying the antibiotic ointment they were given for this. It concerns him that Izuku doesn't so much as flinch at the sting when it's applied. He then wraps Izuku's arms in new bandages and once again picks Izuku up. 

At this point Izuku is near catatonic in his hold, but he drops the sponge in favor of taking hold of his shirt again. 

 

When they walk back into the room, Naomasa makes his way over to Izuku's bed. "Alright, now we can lay down and wait for Shouta to come home. And once he gets back we can see about you taking something to help you sleep. Sound good Izuku?" 

"Okay Masa." Izuku says, and Naomasa has to strain to hear him. 

Naomasa settles on the bed, leaning back against Izuku's pillows and with Izuku tucked into his side. Izuku curls himself close and buries his face in Naomasa's chest. 

"Thanks Masa." He says softly. 

"You're most welcome Izuku." 

---

Shouta arrived home to silence, which really isn't anything new. And yet somehow it feels different this time, though he can't place why. 

Deciding not to dwell on it, Shouta takes his boots off at the door and makes his way quietly into the apartment. The last thing he wants to do is wake anyone up. That is assuming everyone is asleep. This doesn't stop Loud Cloud from meowing obnoxiously in greeting from where he sits on the floor in front of the TV. Shouta takes a moment to glare at said cat before bending down and petting him. He knows full well that ignoring the furry menace will lead to him making even more noise. 

There's a startled trill and what sounds like claws scrapping across fabric that draws Shouta's attention. And sure enough, Penguin is stumbling to his feet from next to the couch and making his way over to Shouta. 

That's odd, Penguin always sleeps with Nao. Always. Which makes sense really, from what Shouta has witnessed the cat accomplish in the middle of the night, he doubts Penguin has any sort of night vision. Shouta decides to save the idiot from himself and scoops Penguin off the floor, tucking him under an arm. He heads to the bedroom to see what exactly is keeping said cat from sleeping on Shouta's husband. 

Upon entering the room, Shouta instead finds Hitoshi sleeping on Nao's side of the bed. That explains why Penguin is wandering around the apartment then. 

 

"Naomasa is in our room with Izuku." A sleep slurred voice informs him. 

Shouta walks over and sets the cat in his arms down on the bed. Penguin proceeds to flop unceremoniously onto his side and cease any and all movement. 

"Didn't mean to wake you up kid." Shouta replies. 

Hitoshi huffs a laugh, "You make it sound like I ever fell asleep. Don't worry about it. Go find Izu instead." He tells him. 

Shouta sighs at the sense of foreboding that leaves him with. "I'll go do that. Try to get some sleep in the mean time Hitoshi." 

He thinks he hears something along the lines of 'sleep is for the weak' as he makes his way over to the closet to first quickly change out of his jumpsuit. Shouta is starting to see what Nao meant when he said Hitoshi is a lot like him. 

 

A few minutes later, Shouta is gently knocking on Izuku's bedroom door to announce is presence before entering. 

The sight that greets him tugs at his heartstrings. The fairy lights hung above Izuku's bed on turned on, bathing the room in a soft glow. On the bed, Naomasa is leaning against the pillows with Izuku tucked into his side. He is running one hand through Izuku's curls while the other is in the kid's grasp. Izuku absently plays with Nao's fingers while staring off into space. 

After closing the door, Shouta makes his way over to the two. Izuku instantly perks up upon seeing Shouta.

"Dad! You're back." he exclaims, albeit tiredly. 

To his credit, Shouta doesn't come to a stuttering halt, although the same can't be said for his heart. He ignores Nao's knowing smile for the moment. 

"Yeah Izuku, I'm back, just like I promised." He replies. 

Izuku sits up clumsily and reaches out his arms to Shouta, which he notices are wrapped in bandages again. Shouta doesn't hesitate to pick Izuku up and settle him on his hip. "I see you got Nao to keep you company while I was gone." He comments. 

Izuku hums while resting his head on Shouta's shoulder, one hand coming up to grasp his capture weapon, "Masa gives good cuddles. He's my third favorite person to cuddle with." Izuku tells him. 

Naomasa chuckles, sitting up fully, "Only third favorite? Who has me beat then?" he inquires lightheartedly. 

"Toshi and Dad. Though Toshi is my favorite." Izuku answers. 

And there it is again, Dad. Does Izuku even realize he's doing it?

Wait. 

Hitoshi is the favorite for cuddles? 

"After all the cuddling we've done, I'm only second favorite?" Shouta asks, "I feel betrayed." 

Izuku giggles, its a flittering, manic sound, "Cuddle with Hitoshi and you will understand." 

Naomasa nods, "He has a point. Hito does give excellent cuddles." He agrees.

When the hell did Nao cuddle with Hitoshi? 

"Fine. I guess I'll just have to wait and find out." Shouta concedes, although he doubts that's going to happen any time soon. Hitoshi seems to be quite comfortable with Nao, but he's still adjusting to Shouta from what the man can tell. 

Izuku nods and yawns, his spare hand coming to rub at his eyes. Shouta grabs his wrist gently when he continues to rub and starts applying too much pressure. Izuku just blinks dazedly at his wrist in Shouta's grasp. 

"Well, now that Shouta his here, how about I go grab you something to help you sleep Izu. That's what we agreed on yes?" Naomasa speaks up. 

Izuku nods, closing his eyes, "Okay Masa." He mumbles. 

Naomasa shares a look with Shouta before he makes his way out of the room. It's a look that tells him it's been a long night, which isn't surprising. They knew the chances of Izuku having an episode while Shouta was out on patrol were very high. Shouta decides it's best not to ask Izuku about it now, however. For now it's best to focus on getting him settled and asleep. 

 

Shouta sits down on the bed with Izuku now settled in his lap, "Do you want me to stay with you while you sleep Izuku?" he asks. 

Izuku nods, "Please. Variant is still on edge and Chance is confused." 

Shouta isn't sure what to make of that, but for now he's content to stay with Izuku tonight. 

There's a knock at the door heralding Naomasa's return. He walks in with a glass of juice and a bottle of pills in hand. Shouta nudges Izuku into sitting position and Nao hands him the juice. Once he's sure Izuku won't drop it, he opens the bottle and takes one of the pills out, handing it to Izuku. Izuku then takes it without complaint. 

Shouta nods his thanks to Nao and his husband leans in to give him a quick kiss. He then ruffles Izuku's hair one more time before standing back up. 

"I'll see you too in the morning then alright? Try to get some sleep." Nao says to them. 

"Good night Nao, thanks." Shouta replies. 

"Night Masa." Izuku mumbles 

"Of course. Good night." He replies, then makes his way out of the room. 

 

"Alright Problem Child, let's get settled so we can sleep okay?" Shouta says to Izuku. 

Izuku nods silently and lets himself be maneuvered to lay down next to Shouta. He then scoots closer and takes hold of Shouta's shirt, burying hid face in Shouta's chest. 

"Night Dad." 

"Good night Izuku." 

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

I'm actually pretty good this time around. It's such a relief to be back to writing again. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I started up again. I was also super excited to finally have inspiration to the point where I wrote this entire chapter in, like, five days.

So what did we think of this chapter. The experiments with Hitoshi's quirk were a last minute addition, I thought of it while I was sweeping and mopping the dining room at work earlier tonight. I'm interested in what you guys think of that.

My college semester started about a month ago. As a result I'm stupidly busy between classes, homework and work work. As such I can't make any predictions as to when the next update will be. On top of that we have arrived at the next arc, so to speak. This is going to take a shit ton of planning and planning takes time I don't have.
But I will do my best!

A big thanks to those of you who have stuck with me this whole time. You guys are awesome! The kudos and comments are always appreciated. I specifically remember freaking out in my discord server the moment this fic hit 1000 kudos. It was definitely a moment of celebration. It also helped motivate me to start writing again.

I think that's all I have for now? You know me, I could talk for hours.
Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 14: So Forward We Crawl

Summary:

So forward we crawl
because after all
~~
We've got some fluff, some H/C, some legal jargon, psychoanalyses and this chapter's installment of Izuku panicking.

That's it, that's the chapter.

Notes:

I'm back! And this time it hasn't been two months. It's also not 2am. Miracles do happen I guess.
I think my brain is making up for lost writing time. Because now I can't stop. It's awesome.

First off, there is a new addition to Chapter 1. I have inserted a cover art that Plantah, an epic member of my discord server, has done for me. Its excellent and I love it. So go check that out first!

This chapter is a bit shorter, it's setting the scene for this next arc. That's right, new arc! Get excited with me! Wooo.
As such, I feel the need to warn you people;

Disclaimer: My college majors are computer programming and web development, NOT law and ethics. Please keep this in mind when reading this arc. I did do some research, albeit at 1am-3am so take that as you will.
This is also fiction, specifically fanfiction, so I am allowed to twist things to suit the story. As with the psychiatric treatment, I want this to be realistic but not at the cost of entertainment.
Please do not fact check me or tell me I am wrong. Just enjoy the damn story.

With that out of the way,
ENJOY

The next morning Izuku refused to leave Shouta's side. 

It was understandable really, the kid had a rough night. They woke up later than usual considering how late the two of them actually went to sleep. And it was clear from the start that Izuku was going to be clingy today. 

Not that it was anything Shouta wasn't already used to. 

---

When Izuku wakes up, everything feels fuzzy and floaty. 

Some time in the night Izuku had managed to maneuver himself to where he was laying on top of Dad. Not that Dad seemed to mind given he was fast asleep from his place under Izuku. 

So, Izuku just snuggled himself back into his dad's chest and tried his best to go back to sleep. 

---

Izuku is woken up this time by Shouta shifting into something closer to a sitting up position. Izuku whines and tightens his grip on his dad's shirt, willing him to stop moving. 

The chest he is laying on rumbles as Shouta chuckles, "Come on Izuku, it's time to wake up. It's time for breakfast." He says to him, fondness clear in his tone. 

Izuku doesn't even open his eyes as he shakes his head. No. He is not moving.

 ~Far too comfortable right now.~ 

<Agreed.>

"Izuku." Dad repeats. 

Izuku ignores him. 

Sighing, Shouta moves Izuku around in his grasp until he can stand up with Izuku still clinging to his front. Izuku hums in contentment as the gentle sways of Shouta's steps soothe his frayed nerves. 

 

"I'm going to set you down on the couch now Izuku. You can just chill here while I grab breakfast for us both." Dad tells him. 

What? Put them down. No! He can't do that. Then he'll leave and Izuku will be all alone again.

  <It isn't safe.> 

*Not safe without dad.* 

~The hurting is going to come back.~

 Izuku doesn't want to hurt. They just want their dad. Dad can't leave them.

 

"-zuku. -reath ki-do. C-mon -- -afe." A voice fades in and out as Izuku starts to panic. "-ot -oin- a-yw-er- Izu--. -re-the fo- me."

Breathe? They can't breathe though! Their chest is tight and it hurts and they're dizzy. 

~The hurting is back because Eraser left. We need to stop it.~ 

<We need Shouta-san, where is he?> 

"I'm right here Izuku, I've got you. I'm not going anywhere." the voice tells him. 

They know that voice, why can't they remember? They know it. But they are in pain and they can't think and it hurts and they're going to die and-

"Izuku, you're not going to die. Try breathing with me okay? In two, three, four. Out, two, three, four..." Izuku feels something rising and falling under their hand. 

<Breathing, it's someone breathing.> 

"That's right kid, I'm breathing, and so are you. Keep going." The voice encourages. 

So Izuku does as the voice tells them, they focus on following the counting and mimicking the rising and falling they can feel under their palm. It takes a while, but eventually they're not as dizzy anymore. 

"Are you feeling any better kid?" his dad asks. 

That's right! 

*That's dad's voice!*  

Izuku jostles a bit as their dad chuckles, "That's right Izuku. It's dad, I'm right here. I didn't leave you. I won't leave you alone." 

Dad is still here. Izuku can relax.

 <Shouta-san will keep us safe.>

"I'll keep you safe. Just focus on calming down." 

 

 

Izuku doesn't know how long they laid there, listening to the thump-thumping of their dad's heart and letting their breathing match his. They're so tired now. Maybe they'll take a little nap for now. They are safe now after all. 

---

Shouta has to suppress a sigh of relief as Izuku's breathing evens out and the kid falls back asleep. That had been one hell of a panic attack. All because Shouta was going to put him down. 

Currently he's sitting on the couch with Izuku tucked close on his lap. It had taken the better part of an hour to get Izuku to fully calm down. 

He loves his son, really he does, but it feels like they've come to a stand still in terms of progress. When he talked with Inui about it previously, the man had said it would take time for Izuku to realize on a more subconscious level that Shouta isn't abandoning him whenever he leaves Izuku's side. And that until Izuku, Variant and Chance are convinced of that, this is going to happen often when Izuku is separated from Shouta for prolonged periods of time. 

It is what it is though. No matter how long it takes, Shouta will be there. 

 

Hitoshi pokes his head out of the kitchen, eyeing Shouta on the couch. Then Naomasa appears directly above him, doing the same. It's an amusing sight. The two had cleared out when Izuku's panic attack first started, intending to give them as much space as they needed. 

Upon having determined that things have settled down, both disappear back into the kitchen. 

A few minutes later, Hitoshi walks out of the kitchen carrying a plate of food, followed by Naomasa who is carrying his laptop. Nao makes his way over to the open couch and settles himself on it, laptop opened on his lap. Penguin appears out of no where and after the third try, he manages to get up onto the couch to sit with Naomasa. Hitoshi makes his way over to Shouta, coming to a stop directly in front of him. Shouta gives him his attention as he waits for him to find his words. 

"This is for you." Hitoshi tells him, holding the plate out, "We made breakfast for you and Izu this morning, but I guess Izu won't be eating right now. But you should still have yours." He continues, holding the plate out to Shouta. 

Shouta gives him a soft expression and takes the plate, "Thank you Hitoshi. I'm sure it will be great." 

"Of course it will, I'm the one who made it." Naomasa calls out. 

"I helped though!" Hitoshi adds. 

Shouta chuckles, "Well thank you both then." He concedes.

 

Shouta begins eating as best he can with a child curled up in his lap. Thankfully the movements don't seem to bother Izuku all that much, who is still fast asleep. Somewhere along the way Izuku shifts in his sleep into a more comfortable position with his legs stretched out to the side off of Shouta's lap to where he now sits sideways on Shouta. Shouta just continues to work around him. 

 That said, even after a minute, Hitoshi hasn't left his place where he stands in front of Shouta. 

Shouta looks at him expectantly. Hitoshi fidgets before asking softly, "Is Izu okay?" 

These boys really do mean the world to each other. 

"Izuku's okay, he just wore himself out. Panic attacks are exhausting." Hitoshi hums in agreement,  "I'm just going to let him sleep for now." Shouta answers. 

Hitoshi nods, silently moving to sit down next to Shouta on the side where Izuku's legs were stretched out. Gently the kid lifts Izuku's legs and settles them on his lap. Izuku doesn't stir in the slightest. 

They sit in companionable silence until Shouta finishes his food, then Hitoshi steals his empty plate out of his hands and sets it down on the coffee table for him. Shouta nods his thanks and Hitoshi just shrugs. 

Its quiet for a long time. 

"He called you Dad didn't he." Hitoshi says, breaking the silence. It's not a question. 

"He did. Izuku started doing it last night when I got home from patrol." Shouta confirms. 

"Izu trusts you, he really does." Hitoshi replies, "But I'm not sure I trust you yet." He then admits. 

"That's fine. I will do my best to earn your trust then. Take as much time as you need." Shouta assures. 

Hitoshi looks up and meets Shouta's eyes, something the kid usually avoids doing, "Don't you dare break Izu's trust. Or I'll make sure it's the last thing you do." He threatens, tone sharp and cold. 

And Shouta believes him. He knows that if any harm comes to Izuku because of Shouta, or even Naomasa, Hitoshi will stop at nothing to retaliate. The same goes for if either Shouta or Nao harm Hitoshi. Izuku will repay in kind. 

"I don't plan on breaking his trust. And you can hold me to that." Shouta tells him. 

"I plan to." Hitoshi declares, then he looks away.

Shouta exchanges looks with Nao. 

"Hitoshi, why don't you go get your computer. I'm sure Izuku will want to watch you play once he wakes up." Naomasa suggests. 

With one more check over Izuku, Hitoshi gets up and leaves the room. 

No sooner that the kid has left, does Knife make her way over to the couch. She then hops up onto it and settles herself on top of Izuku's socked feet. Knife has always had this thing with feet. Shouta swears she'd rather be pet by them than hands some days. Shouta looks at the cat and she 'mrrows' back at him in her demanding way, then she lays her head down. Shouta can hear the faintest of purrs. 

That's weird. Knife never purrs.

Hitoshi then returns with his laptop in hand. He stops in front of the couch and stares down at Knife. Knife meets his eyes and her expression just dares him to try and move her. 

Hitoshi choses life, and instead settles on Shouta's other side. He sits still for a few minutes before slowly leaning into Shouta's side. 

Naomasa gives Shouta a knowing smile before going back to his computer. 

Unlike Nao, Shouta doesn't have any active cases due to his absence while he's been with Izuku. Which means Shouta is free to just sit and relax with his sons on the couch. 

---

Half an hour later Naomasa is silently taking a few pictures of his family all passed out together on the couch. It's honestly an adorable sight. It's good to see Hitoshi opening up a bit to Shouta. Although Shouta doesn't show it, Naomasa knows that Shouta stresses over his relationship with Hitoshi. And Naomasa has reassured him on numerous occasions that these things just take time and that he just needs to keep doing what he's doing. 

Naomasa for his part is sorting through some of the evidence files for Bakugo's case, making sure all the corresponding forms are properly filled out and the footage is sited and clipped accordingly.

They got the bulk of it done yesterday during the case meeting and right now this is really just double and triple checking everything. It's not that Naomasa doesn't trust Nedzu, he just likes to know first hand that everything is correct. 

 

He also goes back through the minutes of the meeting. There was a lot that they discussed yesterday. 

                                                            

---

---

"Is everyone here?" Nedzu questions, "Wonderful! Let us begin then." 

"We received a report Friday that Bakugo-kun's case will be presented to Family Court in a few days. However given the amount of charges and the severity of most of them, there is a very high chance that the court will rule to present this case back to the public court." Officer Tamakawa reports. 

"And that's when we will start facing the most resistance from his attorney and case manager." Naomasa states. 

Nedzu nods, "That's correct. It is likely they will request Izuku's presence for the trial itself, as unfortunate as it is." 

"And do you think it will be approved?" Shouta asks. 

Nedzu hums, "It probably will, mainly because Izuku is really the only one these offenses are against. Upon further investigation and interviews, no one else came forward wishing to press charges or confirm any wrong doing against other children. That and most of the teachers at the school will be deemed ineligible for being called as witnesses due to their own histories and charges." 

"Can we prevent that if we get a detailed statement from Izuku? He hasn't given one yet so it would be considered an original." Naomasa asks. 

"He may not need to testify. The judge presiding over the case will have to decide if Izuku's current plea of Temporary Insanity leaves him ineligible for testimony." Tamakawa explains.

Shouta thinks for a moment. "If this goes to public court, then Izuku is going to need an attorney as well." He points out. 

"Not to worry Shouta-kun! I will gladly take on the role!" Nedzu chirps. 

Shouta sighs, "Of course you're a licensed attorney." 

Nedzu chuckles, "It was more a side effect of me pursuing a proper education in law and ethics. But I must admit is has had it's uses over the years." 

"I feel like having Nedzu as your attorney would be considered a scare tactic." Tamakawa comments. 

The feral glint in Nedzu's eyes as he fails to deny that accusation sets everyone on edge. 

"That aside, we will need to properly compile evidence to be presented for court use. Which means we will need to finally get Izuku's statement." Naomasa says. 

"That's something we will need to consult Inui about first. He gets to decide if Izuku can handle that." Shouta replies. 

"We don't really have a choice in the matter, Shouta. If we want to cover all the bases and make sure Bakugo doesn't get away with everything he's done." Naomasa argues, "I think it ultimately should be left up to Izuku. From there we can make arrangements to have Inui present for the questioning to help with damage control." 

As much as Shouta hates to admit it, he knows his husband is right. They need Izuku's statement for this to properly go through. 

"While on the topic of Izuku, the next hearing for his own criminal trial is coming up. During this the judge will need to rule if the case is to be postponed for rehabilitation or dismissed all together." Tamakawa brings up. 

"And what do we think is likely to be the outcome?" Shouta asks. 

"Given the fact that it was largely due to Izuku manifesting a quirk along with psychosis, there is a chance the case will be dismissed as just that, a quirk manifestation." Nedzu explains, "But there is also the possibility of the quirk manifestation being ruled as a testament to Provocation. Then Izuku would still be facing charges for manslaughter. The best outcome, if the case was not dismissed, would be justifiable homicide; where Izuku was acting in self defense out of fear of being subject to severe bodily harm." He continues, "I believe that the ruling for Bakugo's criminal trial will have an influence on whether or not it is ruled as such." 

There's a long silence as the occupants of the room process everything. 

"So regardless of the Temporary Insanity ruling, Izuku still has a chance of being convicted." Naomasa summarizes. 

Nedzu nods, "That is correct." 

"Then I guess that means we should make sure Bakugo's case is done properly. What needs done?" Shouta leads. 

---

---

"We really need to work on this." Chance declares from his place on the couch. 

The other two don't respond. Variant just turns to face the wall while sitting on the floor and Izuku just buries his head back behind his knees that are pulled to his chest. 

"Don't ignore me. I'm serious." Chance snaps. "We can't keep doing this." 

"Well I don't see you coming up with any ways to solve the problem." Variant snaps. 

"Why am I the one who has to come up with a solution!?" Chance argues back. 

Variant turns around to face him. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because you're the one who goes around acting like he knows everything! Even though you were just as freaked out back there. You said it wasn't safe without Eraser. So we acted accordingly. Which so far is just to panic!" 

"Well I'm saying we need a different solution than panic! We can't keep ourselves safe if we can't function!" Chance counters, standing. 

Variant stands up as well, advancing on Chance, "Well every time I come up with a solution, it get shot down. So why don't you try being the one who protects us huh? See how you like being the one who faces threats!" 

 

"Stop!" 

A shout cuts them both off and there's a shove to both their chests, ending them stumbling back from where they had come to be right in each other's faces. 

"Stop fighting." Izuku repeats softly, "Arguing will solve nothing." 

Variant and Chance look at Izuku. He has tears still running down his face and he's trembling. 

"Zu..." Chance mumbles. 

"Don't. Just, don't. I understand where both of you are coming from, but fighting like this isn't the answer. If the three of us can't trust each other, then what the hell is the point of trying to trust anyone else?" Izuku continues. 

"You have a point." Chance agrees. 

Izuku looks to Variant. 

Variant huffs, semi fondly, "Fine. You win. But don't think that is the end of this discussion." 

Chance shakes his head, "It's not. We just need to be more civil about this." 

"Let's think about this. What are our options here?" Izuku questions. 

"Well we could fight." Variant offers. 

"We could continue to run and hide." Chance points out. 

"Or we just sit there and take it like we had before all this." Izuku finishes. 

The three alters look at each other. 

"None of those sound like viable options here." Chance declares. 

"Then- then what are we supposed to do?" Izuku murmurs. 

 

That really is the question. One that none of them have the answer to. 

---

Izuku wakes up just in time for lunch. 

All four of them migrate to the table in the kitchen to have lunch. Izuku settles himself down on Shouta's lap as they both sit at the kitchen table watching Naomasa make lunch with the help of Hitoshi. 

"I didn't know you could cook Toshi." Izuku comments. 

Hitoshi laughs, "I didn't used to be able to. Naomasa has been teaching me over the past few weeks though. And I like to think I'm getting better at it." He explains. 

"You are getting better. You've been a great help cooking today." Naomasa tells him. 

Hitoshi looks away, not really sure how to handle the blatant compliment. 

 

Once lunch is ready and everything is on the table, Shouta tries to convince Izuku to sit on his own chair. Izuku reluctantly agrees, letting himself be sat with Shouta on one side and Hitoshi on the other. 

As everyone starts eating, Shouta notices Izuku is just staring at his plate. 

"Are you going to eat Izuku?" he asks gently. 

Izuku shakes his head, "I'm not hungry." 

"You need to eat something Izuku, you missed breakfast this morning." Shouta tries coaxing. 

Izuku just shakes his head no again, avoiding eye contact with Shouta. 

"Are you feeling okay Izu?" Hitoshi asks from his other side. 

Izuku just shrugs, continuing to stay silent. 

"It's okay if he's not hungry. He did just wake up after all." Naomasa cuts in, giving Shouta a look. 

Reluctantly, Shouta keeps his mouth shut. He'll try to hold off worrying too much for now. Izuku did have a rough morning. Maybe he will talk to Nao about making katsudon for dinner to help motivate Izuku to eat. 

 

"Why don't you tell Naomasa and Shouta about the experimenting we did with my quirk yesterday?" Hitoshi suggests. 

That get's Izuku's attention. 

"I know Hizashi mentioned something in his texts about experimenting with Hitoshi's quirk, but nothing specific. What did you try doing exactly?" Shouta asks, taking Izuku's interest and running with it. 

"We did all kinds of things!" Izuku begins, "First we got a baseline for different parameters, like how long he could hold his control over someone, how many people he can control at once, what kind of commands he can give them. Can he ask them questions? It was fun." Izuku explains. 

"It was interesting, probably more interesting for you than it was for me honestly." Hitoshi admits, "But what about the stuff we tried last? With you and Variant?" Hitoshi reminds him. 

Izuku's whole face lights up. "That's right! We tested to see if Hitoshi could maintain his control over me if Variant fronted instead of me." Izuku tells them. 

An interesting test. One that might be useful in the future perhaps. 

"Really? And what was the result?" Naomasa asks, sounding genuinely interested. 

"I could maintain the connection, it was just extremely difficult. I'm not sure if it was difficult because it was like Izuku was fighting it or if it was treating it as some sort of distance." Hitoshi tells them. 

"That's another thing we need to test!" Izuku exclaims, "How far away from a person can you be and still maintain control over them? I would expect there to be a limit of some kind, given your quirk is more of an emitter type. But just how far is it? Do they have to be within hearing range to receive your commands or are the commands actually sent via the connection you have with them not their auditory input? Do they still execute the command if they end up out of range during it? Or does it interrupt them? Can you-" 

"Izu. I love you but I don't have the answers to any of that right now. I wouldn't mind testing them so why don't you write them down after dinner for later?" Hitoshi interrupts. Izuku nods while practically vibrating in his seat, "For now though, you can finish explaining about what we already tested." He guides.

"Right! Sorry." Izuku apologizes. 

"It's fine Izuku, we all find your ramblings quite fascinating." Naomasa assures him. 

Izuku doesn't seem to know how to take that one. He is clearly unused to such positive reactions to his habit. It's just another thing they will need to work on. 

"Um, okay. Anyway. The interesting thing that happened though was when Hitoshi dropped his control, I was forcibly pulled back out of the mindscape so that I was fronting again. Which honestly hurt, but it's fine. It wasn't too bad and it went away pretty quickly." Izuku tells them. 

That is interesting. 

"The other thing we tested was if I could give Izuku the command to switch places with Variant. And surprisingly enough it worked. It was also slightly easier to maintain my hold on him." Hitoshi explains. 

"When you get better at brainwashing multiple people we will have to try and see if you can brainwash both of us, or even all three of us!" Izuku suggests. "But when we switched this time, Variant actually stayed fronting this time when Toshi released his control." He finishes. 

Now that sounds extremely useful, should the need to force a switch ever arise. 

"Was Variant a willing participant or did he not really have a choice?" Naomasa jokes. 

Toxic green eyes glare at him, "I wasn't given much of a choice. I was ripped from the mindscape against my own will." He declares. 

"You didn't have to switch when I told you to the first time. Just admit you wanted a chance to do something." Izuku argues back. 

"I was not given a choice the second time. That was just rude." Variant counters. 

"It was for the sake of an experiment. And you survived." Izuku justifies. 

It's interesting watching someone more or less argue with themselves. And Shouta can tell from the looks on Naomasa and Hitoshi's faces that they definitely agree. 

"I don't know why you're complaining Variant. You still ended up training with Stephan instead of Izuku. If anything Izuku should be the one complaining." Hitoshi argues. 

He what?

"Hitoshi! You can't just rat me out like that!" Variant practically yells.

Shouta isn't sure he has the energy to be upset about this. Clearly nothing went wrong so Shouta doesn't really see the issue. This time. 

Variant is currently looking at Shouta like he's waiting to be scolded. Hitoshi seems to be waiting for it as well, clearly regretting his words. 

Shouta sighs, "Did you hurt anyone?" Shouta asks. 

"No." Variant answers. 

"Did Stephan have a problem with you training?" 

"No." 

"Then I don't see the problem this time." Shouta tells him, and Variant slumps in relief. 

"Variant so long as you behave I don't mind if you front. You know that right?" Shouta then questions. 

Variant gives him an odd look. "No? You keep using your quirk on me when I front." He answers.

Well then. It seems there has in fact been some miscommunication here. Inui had a feeling that was the case.

"That would be because those times you were acting out of violence." Shouta explains. "I don't mind if you front, I would like to get to know you better outside of when you are on the defensive. I think we all would." He tells him. 

Variant just stares at him for a bit, tears gathering in his eyes. 

"Okay." He says softly. 

Shouta smiles and pulls Variant into a hug. "You're part of the family too you know. Not just Izuku. You and Chance both. Don't forget that." 

---

---

Shouta didn't have patrol that night. The plan was to first touch base with Inui and review how Izuku handled Shouta having been gone. As such Inui pays them all a visit the following day.

Inui meets with Shouta and Naomasa before he meets with Izuku to review how the past few days had gone. Then after his session with Izuku all four of them discuss things together and how to go forward. Inui meets with them every Monday and Friday. That said, he has stressed on numerous occasions that he is always just a call away should they have need of him or his input. For the most part, handling the various things that come up with Izuku consists of Inui instructing Shouta in what to do and how to react. Izuku hasn't identified Inui as 'safe' therefore his physical presence does very little to actually help the situation. Instead he just gives Shouta advice on what to do. 

 

Shouta and Naomasa recounted how Izuku reacted that night while Shouta was gone and how they handled it. They also explained Izuku's condition the next day. The fact that he refused to let Shouta out of his sight wasn't surprising, it was actually what they had expected. However the slight depression and extreme drop in appetite was concerning. They were instructed to keep a close eye on if Izuku improved or continued said behaviors over the next couple of days. 

The adults also discussed the topic of getting Izuku's statement about both Bakugo's abuse towards him and the Aldera Incident. 

Inui explained that this would not be the first time that Izuku had discussed his past abuse. Izuku didn't seem to have a problem with talking about it. That said, Inui recommended they try and format the interview like a therapy session. If Izuku felt that he was being interrogated he may begin to feel threatened. When that happened there was no way of knowing how all three of the alters would react.  

As for the statement on the Aldera incident, Inui advised they avoid it if they can. He explained that both Izuku and Variant don't regret what they did. They were both just happy that the threats to them were eliminated. If those sentiments were to be presented in court, they would have a difficult time explaining it without putting Izuku in a precarious position.  

 

When Inui asked Izuku why he felt unsafe when Shouta left, Izuku couldn't give him a specific answer. Inui asked if there was something specific Izuku was afraid of happening and Izuku said no. The way Izuku explained it was that Shouta wasn't there, so he must be in danger. 

This leads Inui to believe that Izuku's mind has defined 'being safe' as 'being with Shouta'. Shouta being there meant there was safety and therefore Shouta not being there meant the absence of safety. And right now, to Izuku, being safe is most important. 

Further discussion lead to Izuku explaining he also feels safe with Stephan, Hitoshi and is starting to feel safe with Naomasa. This implies that Izuku is just generally attaching safety to people. He doesn't feel safe with himself. 

Fixing this was going to take a lot of time and reassurance. It will require countless examples and scenarios in which Izuku is given the opportunity to realize that he is safe despite the situation not meeting his own definition. It was going to be difficult to do so without over stressing Izuku and sending him into a relapse. 

---

At this point, Inui has been working with Izuku for a few months now. He has had quite a bit of time to build up his own psychological profiles of all three of the alters. 

Izuku is the one that fronts primarily. Inui finds this interesting because Izuku is also clearly the trauma holder. So the fact that Izuku is still the one fronting most of the time shows that the goal isn't to forget about the abuse they've been to all together, but rather what seems to be attempts to avoid any further trauma or damage. 

Izuku also tends to act a bit younger than what would be expected of a fifteen year old. It's more a case of he seems to lack that emotional maturity and a sense of independence that comes with reaching that age. Instead he relies on the other two alters for decisions and support. In response, Variant and Chance tend to coddle Izuku. They also always call him 'Zu' instead of 'Izuku'. In Inui's eyes, Izuku is definitely treated as the 'little brother' of the three boys. 

Izuku is more timid, shy and well meaning. His kindness knows no bounds and he really is a ray of sunshine. Izuku is very curious and asks a lot of questions. He seems to be the one with the least amount of self confidence, coming across as hesitant and unsure of himself. Izuku is also terrifyingly intelligent. They all are really, but it manifests the most in Izuku. It makes Inui nervous at times. 

Variant, for his part, is the Protector. His main goal, as he has made quite clear on numerous occasions, is to keep Izuku safe. And as they've seen, he will stop at nothing to accomplish this goal. That said, Inui has come to learn during his conversations with Variant himself, that the alter doesn't want to respond with violence. Violence is simply the way he's found most effective, and was the way he was initially manifested. Variant doesn't want to hurt anyone, but he will if he has to. 

Variant comes across as very confident and at times confrontational. He isn't aggressive per se, he's just a bolder, more playful and, often times, sarcastic person. He tends to jump to conclusions and act on impulse, something that can get the other two into some trouble. Variant is also mischievous and cunning.  From Inui's experience, he also has an excellent sense of humor. 

Chance is the alter that Inui has the least amount of experience with. He is the Caretaker, the one who looks out for the others. He is more mature and down to earth. Chance is also tasked with determining if something is safe or not. He is the decision maker and often keeps a handle on the other two alters. 

Chance seems to value control. He always wants to know what's going on when and why. He prefers to be notified of something in advance and needs to have any chances or potential happenings fleshed out as much as possible. To that end, Inui has noticed on several occasions that Chance can be manipulative. There haven't been many opportunities for this to fully manifest, but Inui doesn't doubt that Chance is willing to go to extreme lengths to get what he wants. 

Chance is definitely the more awkward of the three. He relies very heavily on logic. He takes everything very seriously and humor seems to go straight over his head. While his social skills are somewhat lacking, this isn't because he doesn't do well with people. Chance has a very good understanding of people and what makes them tick. He will often pick apart what you say and what you do. Although this isn't usually out of malicious intent. It is simply something he does. Inui has discovered he is very good at debates and intellectual discussions. 

 

Over all, Izuku experiences most things, Variant reacts to it all, and Chance interprets it. Together the three make a very dangerous combination. 

---

---

The day following Inui's visit, Shouta and Naomasa took Izuku's statement. Inui was there to over see it all, and it went well for the most part. There were a few emotional hiccups, but that was to be expected. The lack of appearance of the other alters tells them Izuku handled it quite well. 

It was later that day, after receiving some less than ideal news, that Shouta and Naomasa sat down with Izuku once again to discuss something important.                

---

"Okay Izuku, we have something we need to discuss with you." Naomasa addresses him. 

Izuku looks up from where he had been sitting on the couch, Knife curled up purring in his lap. 

~Damn demon needs to leave us alone already.~ Variant complains.

<It's a cat for starters. And clearly Knife is attached to us. I quite enjoy her company.> Chance replies.

~Well I think you're crazy.~ Variant argues.

*That's a given considering there's three of us in one head.*  Izuku points out.

 

"Izuku? You okay over there kiddo?" Izuku jumps slightly as Dad's voice drags his attention from the internal conversation. 

"I'm okay!" Izuku chirps, "You said you had something you wanted to talk about?" 

Dad nods. "We do. It's about Bakugo's trial." Izuku flinches. 

"The official court date has been set. So we need to talk about what that means for you going forward." Naomasa finishes. 

*No no no. I'm not dealing with this!* Izuku insists, panicking slightly. 

 

Chance sighs as he settles into the front. "Go ahead. What exactly do we have to do with Bakugo's trial?" he inquires. 

Naomasa blinks in surprise at the sudden change, "Chance?" 

Chance nods, "Zu made it quite clear he wants nothing to do with this conversation. I decided it was best if I take over." Though it's not as if he really had a choice this time. 

*I'm sorry! I-I just-*

~None of that, there's nothing to be sorry for. You can just hang out with me for now.~

Confident that Variant can handle Izuku, Chance focuses fully on the adults in front of him. 

"Is Izuku okay?" Shouta asks. 

"He's fine. Variant is making sure of it." Chance declares, "Let's just get this over with." 

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Shouta continues. "Like Nao said, Bakugo's court date has been set. It is scheduled for two weeks from now."

"We received confirmation earlier this afternoon that you are required to be in attendance." Naomasa continues. 

Chance doesn't like the sound of that. "And you're positive we absolutely have to be there?" 

They nod, "Yes." 

Chance sighs tiredly, "Then I guess it doesn't really matter if I don't think it's a good idea. We have to go regardless." He mutters. 

"We tried our best to keep you out of it, but the defense was very...insistent." Naomasa adds. 

"I understand." Chance replies, "Will we be expected to testify?" he then asks. 

Shouta shakes his head, "No, the judge presiding over the case decided that your own current plea of Temporary Insanity leaves you ineligible for testimony in court. They told us that your statement will suffice." 

"That makes it a little better at least. I still would prefer I be the one fronting at the trial. Izuku doesn't need that kind of stress and I'm not sure Variant could stay calm during it all." Chance says. 

~Loathe as I am to admit it, no I probably couldn't.~

*Thanks for looking out for me Chance!*

<That's what I'm here for Zu. It's no trouble.>

"That's fine. You shouldn't be expected to say anything so it doesn't really matter to the court if Izuku is fronting." Naomasa tells him. 

"Who all will be there with us?" Chance then asks. 

"We will be there, along with Nedzu and Inui." Shouta answers. 

Wait. "What about an attorney? Don't we need one of those?"

Both adults suddenly look slightly uneasy, it's concerning. 

"Actually, Nedzu will be acting as your attorney." Naomasa explains. 

Oh. Oh. 

Chance smiles, "That's excellent." 

Shouta and Naomasa exchange glances. 

"Finally, do you think you can give me a rundown on what you at least think will be discussed? That way I can be prepared in advance for anything...triggering." Chance requests. 

"We don't know anything for sure. But we can at least go over the basics." Shouta answers. 

 

The three then spent the next half hour going over what they had until Chance was at least somewhat satisfied with the information he had been given. 

---

Izuku didn't really have a hard time falling asleep thanks to the medication he takes. Dad sat beside him in his bed until Izuku fell asleep. Then he went out on patrol. 

It was sometime in the middle of the night that Izuku found himself wide awake with increasing levels of anxiety. 

Dad isn't home, so Izuku can't really go and sleep with him. Masa is here but Izuku doesn't want to bother him. He's not sure he would really be comfortable sleeping with Masa just yet anyhow. 

Izuku wishes Dad were home. But he knows Dad has to do hero work. Izuku thinks he has kept him from that long enough. Although Dad always assures him that Izuku and the rest of their little family will always be more important than his job as a pro hero. So Izuku tries his best not to feel too guilty. 

 

Movement from above him drags Izuku out of his thoughts. That's right!

~Hitoshi is here.~ 

<Hitoshi is safe. We can sleep with him.>

Having made up his mind, Izuku quietly gets out of his own bed and climbs the latter to get to Hitoshi's bed up above. As expected, what noise Izuku does make, the bed creaking under him and his own breathing, doesn't manage to wake Hitoshi at all. 

Izuku decides he would rather just crawl over and lay beside his brother than wake him up. So that's what he tries to do. He doesn't succeed however. 

Hitoshi rolls over upon Izuku's arrival beside him. "Izu? Wha'? What's wrong?" Hitoshi mumbles, voice thick with sleep. 

"Can I sleep with you?" Izuku whispers back. 

In leu of an answer, Hitoshi lifts the arm next to Izuku and tosses it over his brother. He pulls Izuku down so he's laying against his chest and still under his arm, making sure the blanket covers the both of them. 

"Sleep. I'm tired Izu." Hitoshi declares. 

Izuku giggles and cuddles closer. Toshi really does give the best cuddles. "Okay Toshi." 

"Night Izu." 

"Goodnight Toshi." 

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

I wrote this chapter in record time considering the amount of course work and homework I have to do. Am I avoiding my responsibilities? Yes. Absolutely.

This chapter was interesting to write. It was really just an amalgamation of scenes I thought needed to happen before the trial. And also me stalling having to write said trial.
That said, next chapter might take a while, given the trial scene is going to be insane to write. (This is the part where I don't even get there in next chapter now isn't it? XD)

Let me know what you guys think of the psychological profiles. I put a lot of thought into them. Well, sorta. Characterization isn't something I find particularly difficult, but still.
That and the conversation between Izuku, Variant and Chance. It poses an interesting dillema I feel.

You will also notice that the stanza for this chapter is only a couplet. Why? Because I REALLY want to use the following couplet for next chapter. And I get to call the shots here after all.
I do hope you guys are enjoying my poems. I worked hard on them. (I'm also running out. Shhhhhh)

I need to go do some actual homework now. Wish me luck I suppose?

Later
>>--->Arrow

Chapter 15: What It Means To Be Insane

Summary:

So forward we crawl
because after all
The need to resort to pain
is what it means to be insane
~~
It's here, it's time
Bakugo's trial is finally here!
This can't possibly go wrong can it.

Notes:

Hello everyone!! I'm back again!
Midterms are finally over, so I finally got to actually finish this chapter! Yay!

I've been waiting to share this chapter with you guys for MONTHS. You have to let me know what you think!

Also, there has been more art added to chapter 1 and to chapter 11. Another big thanks to Plantah for those! You're awesome my dude!! Be sure to go check them out.

Also, Insanity Is My Strife will be getting an update very soon! So keep an eye out for that. And those of you who haven't checked that out, please do!

Now then, on to the chapter! ENJOY

Izuku is nervous. And in his opinion, he has every right to be. So he's hiding in the mindscape with the others until they are actually needed. 

"We are all allowed to be nervous. It's only natural." Chance reminds Izuku from his place directly to his right. 

"This is stupid. We shouldn't have to do this." Variant complains, crossing his arms while sitting directly to Izuku's left. 

The three of them are smushed together as close as humanly possible while sitting on the blue couch in the mindscape. Chance is keeping one eye on what's going on outside so that he knows when someone needs to go back to fronting. But for now, they are all focusing on keeping each other calm. 

Izuku isn't sure if it's working. 

"We're trying our best here Zu. There's only so much we can do you know." Variant says to him, no doubt listening to his thoughts. 

Variant chuckles, "Technically they are all of our thoughts. But trying to explain that one is far too much of a headache right now." He comments. 

"Agreed." Chance assents, "Besides, we have other priorities right now." 

"I dunno, it might be a good distraction." Variant offers. "Get Izuku's hyper-focusing set on something else." 

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Izuku mumbles, nails digging into his palms as he clenches his fists. 

Variant and Chance each take one hand into their own. "You know we can feel you doing that right?" Variant reminds him. 

Izuku shrugs. "Sorry." 

"And so you should be." Variant quips with a wink. 

Izuku giggles slightly at that one. Variant counts it as a win. 

"How's everything looking out there Chance?" Variant asks. 

"Same as it was a few minutes ago when you asked." Chance replies, sounding tired. 

They are currently in a waiting room down the hall from the actual court room. Naomasa and Dad are here, they actually sitting on their dad's lap right now, who sits in one of the comfier chairs in the room. Both Masa and Dad are dressed in suits. They look nice. Although it's weird seeing dad with his hair tied back outside of the house.

"Nedzu is here. Not sure why though." Chance informs. 

 "Excellent. We haven't gotten to see Nedzu since we were let out of the hospital. Besides our usual video calls that is." Variant replies. 

"I like Nedzu. He's awesome." Izuku murmurs. And the other two nod in agreement. 

"I asked him and he said he's going to be our attorney for both Bakugo's trial and our own." Chance tells them. 

He's giving them a play by play because he knows Izuku can't focus on what's going on outside right now. Although it's not like he's really trying to. The exact opposite in fact. 

"Which is fine Zu. That's why I'm fronting and not you. Don't stress over it." Chance assures him. 

"I feel like we should be worried about our own upcoming trial." Variant muses. 

Chance shakes his head, "Hush. We have our hands full as it is worrying about this one. Stop giving us more to deal with right now and focus on what's in front of us." 

"Technically it's in front of you. We're not out there." Variant teases. 

Chance just glares at him. Only for his expression to soften when Izuku laughs again at Variant's antics. 

 

Inui-san arrives sometime later. Izuku isn't really sure why though, but he must have a reason to be here. 

"He's probably here to attest to our mental state due to the abuse." Variant muses. 

Chance grimaces, "He better not go too in depth. We don't need all those people to know about the three of us individually." 

"Then tell him that. I don't want people knowing too much either." Izuku suggests. 

"Alright. I will." Chance assents. 

There's silence as Chance focuses on his conversation with Inui-san. Izuku can't be bothered to tune into it right now. He'd rather just sit here in silence where he knows it's safe. 

Variant squeezes Izuku's hand, "You know we won't let anything bad happen to you right? We won't let you get hurt again." He assures Izuku, "If Bakugo tries anything I'm going to kill him this time." 

Izuku smiles at that. Killing is wrong, sure, but it would mean Bakugo can't come back and burn him anymore. He's had enough of being burned and kicked and slashed and-

"Zu. Breathe for me, what you're thinking about let it be for now." Variant's voice cuts in. 

Izuku shakes his head as if to physically dislodge the thoughts that threaten to suffocate him. 

"You can't go killing anyone in the middle of a court house Variant. That's even worse than a school." Chance reprimands. "At least save if for somewhere more secluded." 

"You're no fun. But I suppose you are right." Variant concedes, "I'll just have to come up with a better time and place. 

"What did Inui-san say about his testimony?" Izuku asks Chance. 

Chance shifts his attention to Izuku, "He said it's only a general overview. He won't talk about any of us alters specifically, that would be a breach of privacy apparently." 

Izuku hums, "Okay. That's good I guess." 

"Oh. The door just opened again. I wonder who else is here?" Chance wonders aloud. 

More people? Izuku has been fine so far because they are all people they know. That and he's safely situated on his dad's lap. 

"Calm down Zu. It's just Stephan. We like Stephan, remember?" Chance informs. 

Izuku perks up. Stephan is here? Really? 

"Yep, he's here. He says hello to you both by the way." Chance replies. 

"Tell him I say hello then." Variant says. 

"Me too!" Izuku chirps. 

Chance shakes his head fondly. "Calm down, I will."  

"And ask him why he is here!" Variant calls out. 

"I'm getting there! Just give me a minute." Chance snaps in reply. 

"And be nice!" Izuku chimes in, more so just to tease Chance than anything. 

Chance huffs, but otherwise doesn't respond to Izuku's jab. 

"He says he's here to go over our medical condition and the comprehensive analysis on all of our scars." Chance explains, sounding unimpressed. 

"I forgot they had gotten pictures of them." Variant sighs. 

"We were kinda out of it when they did. We had just started our meds when they asked." Izuku reminds him. 

Variant nods, "Right, that's probably the only reason I agreed to that one." 

Izuku shrugs, "It needed to be done. And now it's coming in handy I guess." 

 

"Ten minutes till we have to leave for the court room." Chance informs. 

Izuku flinches. No! He's not ready yet! 

Izuku brings his knees up to his chest, effectively curling into a ball. He's safer this way.

"Come now, none of that. You're not even out there." Variant chides. 

Before Izuku can respond he's being lifted from underneath and dropped into Variant's lap. 

"There! You can just chill there for now. I'll keep you safe." Variant declares. 

Chance nods his approval. Izuku just snuggles into him to make himself more comfortable. Variant is almost as comfy as Dad and Hitoshi. Almost.

"If you say so. I'll take your word for it I guess. Even if it hurts my pride somewhat." Variant responds. 

"Variant. One thing before this all starts." Chance addresses. 

"Yes?" 

"Don't do anything stupid." Chance orders. 

Variant sighs, "I know. Eraser and Tsuka said the same thing." 

"Good. I'm going to fully front now, okay you two?" Chance informs, "Variant, take care of Izu. Izu, keep Variant out of trouble." 

"Of course." "Got it" come the stereo replies. 

Chance smiles. "Okay. Here we go." 

---

To say Shouta is concerned would be an understatement. 

Izuku was quiet the entire trip from the apartment, just silently clinging to Shouta the entire ride here and walk inside. No sooner than they had made it past the lobby was Shouta lunging forward to catch Izuku as he stumbled. When Izuku opened his eyes, it wasn't Izuku anymore. It was Chance. 

The kid thanked him for the save and pulled himself from Shouta's grasp. Only for he himself cling to the sleeve of Shouta's suit barely a minute later. 

When they arrived at their designated waiting room, Chance sat himself down in Shouta's lap as soon as Shouta himself has managed to get seated on one of the couches. Physical affection, while not unusual for Chance, was usually sought out with much more hesitancy than this. 

From then on Shouta would have thought Chance had disassociated were it not for the occasional greeting and questions directed at each person as they arrived. In typical Chance fashion, he demanded to know exactly what was going on and why people were here. 

What worried Shouta the most was the slight tremors that racked his son's entire form. 

 

Naomasa was busy going though a last minute review with Nedzu, then Inui and Stephan when they eventually arrived. Chance seemed happy to see Stephan, and even passed along hellos from the other two alters. The boys really are attached to him. It's somewhat adorable. You'll never hear Shouta say it though. 

Shouta knew his job. It was unlikely that Shouta would be called to that stands, given he wasn't a witness to Bakugo's abuse nor was he Izuku's guardian at the time it was taking place. 

No. Shouta's primary role is damage control. To keep Izuku/Chance/Variant as calm and subdued as possible. He is fully aware that the chances of nothing happening during this trial are very slim. Shouta just isn't sure what exactly he should be concerned with the most. Either Variant lashing out in someway, or Izuku fronting because despite the other two's best efforts, Izuku is the primary alter and the trauma holder. Chance still has a difficult time remaining in control when Izuku gets too distressed. Shouta isn't really sure why that is though. Variant, as the protector, is better at keeping control, probably because he takes it by force when necessary. 

Either way, Shouta needs to be prepared for anything. And he's done his best to be just that. 

Eventually the time came for them to make their way to the court room. Shouta was half convinced he would need to carry his son into the court room. But much to his surprise, Chance stood up off his lap with little prompting and simply took Shouta's hand in a white knuckled grip. 

 

The court room was mostly filled when they arrived. It was clear that their arrival was delayed as long as possible given Izuku's condition. Or at least that's what it came across as. 

Shouta's eyes roamed the room as they followed Nao over to their seats on the side for the prosecution. He could see Bakugo-kun's parents sitting over on the side of the defense, along with a few other suited individuals Shouta assumes are their legal team. He doesn't see Katsuki anywhere, which makes sense. If he's in police custody then he probably won't be brought before the court until the session starts. 

Shouta prays the sight of Katsuki doesn't immediately set Variant off. A confrontation between the two would be a disaster, especially if Variant acts unprovoked in the eyes of the court. 

The further into the room they are the more eyes that turn to them. Shouta can feel the tension and trepidation radiating from Chance's silent form. When they take their seats Shouta positions Chance so that his is between himself and Stephan while also being as far into the aisle as they can manage.

Once everyone has gotten seated and situated, the judge confirms that everyone is ready to begin. Upon receiving confirmation, he then gives the order for Bakugo to be brought into the room. 

And so Shouta watches on as the blond haired teen is led into the room, flanked by armed guards at his front and back. He is dressed in the typical prisoner's garb with quirk suppressant cuffs on his wrists. 

Shouta feels when Chance tenses up as Bakugo looks in his direction. Shouta moves their intertwined hands to rest on his son's thigh, the contact intended to be more of a physical deterrent while also maintaining subtlety. Chance shifts his focus downward where he begins to fidget with Shouta's fingers while the tension in his form releases just enough to convince Shouta the kid isn't about to do something rash. Thankfully, Bakugo's gaze doesn't linger in their direction for long.

This is going to be a long day. 

---

Katsuki does as he is told and takes a seat between the two officers that have taken charge of him since his arrival at the court house. Loath as he was to admit it, Katsuki has gotten used to following instructions over the past two weeks since his arrest. He learned quite quickly the consequences of resisting. 

Katsuki found he couldn't help himself when his eyes drifted in what should be Deku's direction. He knew better than to let his gaze settle on his...ex-friend?...enemy?...victim? Fuck, he's not sure what to call their fucked up relationship. 

While looking over at the prosecution side of the room he noticed a few familiar faces. One looked slightly like the unnamed hero that has shown up at the incident a few months ago. He's not sure what the guy's name is or why he's even fucking here. The other was the detective and cat officer that came to arrest him. Katsuki doesn't remember what the hell their names are, and frankly he doesn't care. And the last...was that Nedzu? How the hell did Deku get Nedzu on his side. Is he his lawyer? The fuck? 

That aside Katsuki knows better than to keep his focus in Deku's direction for very long. His current position regarding this trial and his apparent guilt has been made quite clear to him. Despite this fact he's still fucking confused. 

Over the years he's never once gotten in trouble for what he did to Deku. Which, he gets the feeling now that he's in this situation that this is why the former staff of Aldera were all stuck in their own mess of legal bullshit. 

When he was first arrested, his parents had even joined in on the long ass talk about why he was even being arrested and what he did wrong. They all spoke to him as if he was an idiot that had no idea what was going on, it really pissed him off. He knew what he did to Deku was wrong to some capacity. But after so long of no one seeming to care, Katsuki found he no longer cared if it was wrong either. 

It felt good to put shitty Deku in his place, to remind the infinitely intelligent and hopelessly heroic nerd (not that he'd admit this out loud) that he was beneath him, that he was nothing. Sure, there were times that he questioned if Deku really was 'beneath' him, but Katsuki was the best so Deku had to be. He couldn't me the one in the wrong. 

Now here he is with his entire world view having shattered around him. 

---

It has been a long time since Nedzu had the pleasure of acting as an attorney. 

Admittedly he doesn't do it very often to begin with. He only offers to do so for his favorite humans. 

His favorite time he had done so was when Stephan was denied entry to medical school based solely on the fact that he was quirkless. 

Nedzu loves tearing down corrupt schools, but colleges and universities are the most fun. After all, they actually put up something of a fight. And when Stephan has requested his assistance, Nedzu got to take a torch to the five top medical schools in Japan. He had a wonderful time of it.

There is also the occasions when Erin gets herself into trouble with the hero commission and needs backup, the commission really doesn't like Nedzu's protege. However in recent years the HPSC has all but given up on trying to pin legal charges on the girl. Nedzu's presence was only partly to blame, Erin is a force to be reckoned with all on her own. 

That aside, Nedzu is more than happy to lend his aid to Izuku. The child has quickly rise on his, admittedly short, list of favorite humans. The fact that both Shouta and Stephan are involved only makes it all the better. 

Nedzu is well aware that this case again Bakugo Katsuki is already won. The child did plead guilty after all. That and the evidence that they have compiled is more than sufficient to guarantee his sentencing. Now it is simply a matter of what his punishments will be. 

As such, Nedzu sits with his ever present smile as he listens to Tsukauchi review the video evidence the police have in their possession with the court. 

Once again having to watch Izuku be beaten and abused aggravates something protective in Nedzu's chest. After all his instincts have claimed this human child as one of his humans. Having to bear witness to such atrocities against him doesn't sit well with the creature. 

Nedzu does take a sort of sick satisfaction in watching Bakugo's own attorney pale further and further with each tape being reviewed.

When Tsukauchi has finished with the review, the defense has no questions, which isn't surprising. Nedzu himself declines to ask any questions as well. His sharp animal hearing doesn't miss the amused huff that emits from Shouta-kun either. 

 

Next up is Stephan and his review of the scarring left on Izuku. Nedzu has to admit, it's not a pretty sight. Nedzu himself is no stranger to scars, but seeing this amount of them on a child? He has to repress a growl at the sight. 

When that is finally over, the judge asks if there are any witnesses to be called to the stands. 

They tried to find other witnesses, but no one was willing to come forward in court. In addition, Izuku is not eligible to be brought to the stands for testimony. So that leaves only one person.

"Your honor, prosecution would like to call Bakugo Katsuki to the stands." Nedzu declares. 

Time to hear what this child has to say for himself. 

---

As Bakugo is escorted to the stand by the armed police officers, he is led past where Chance sits. 

As the two make eye contact, time freezes, the tension in the court room spiking to new levels, and Variant is on the defensive immediately. Snatching control from Chance, steady teal flickers into toxic green with no room for argument.

Bakugo takes this time to direct a vicious glare in Variant's direction, maintaining eye contact as he sneers, lip curling, teeth baring in aggression. With look of burning aggression and searing vitriol; Bakugo conveys his scorn, his contempt, all his feelings and violence toward his former victim. 

And with all that he is, Variant meets his gaze. With tight lips and piercing eyes, he growls in challenge. Through a glare filled with cold animosity and toxic venom; Variant declares his hostility and his malevolence, promising death in turn for his forsaken abuser. 

A hand resting on his shoulder brings Variant to a halt. It's a warning, it's advice, it's safety. Variant lets himself be cowed by it's presence. 

Bakugo doesn't miss this, and he capitalizes on it. His face shifts to smug success, victory of the unspoken battle. He is content in his self proclaimed superiority as he watches Variant be supposedly subdued. 

That's Bakugo's mistake however, his true downfall. It is the end of his rule.

Variant snaps.

 

In one fluid motion he launches himself over the barrier, toxic green eyes sharp and cold as a blade. Bakugo stumbles back, in surprise and in fear. He knows this look. It's the one that took his quirk and the one that promises pain and bloodshed. 

Hands grab at each of them, Bakugo by the shoulders and Variant by the waist. 

For but a moment, terrified carmine meet malicious crimson, roles reversed after an eternity of contention. 

Then they are being pulled apart, away from each other's grasps, away from each other's emotions.

 Away from the inevitable.        

---

The moment Bakugo is called to the stand, Shouta can feel Chance go tense. It's then that Shouta realizes that Bakugo will be lead directly passed where they are seated. The boy may be flanked by officers, but Shouta knows better than to think that guarantees safety. So he waits and watches, ready to act the moment things go south. 

As Bakugo walks past he turns his head in Chance's direction and sneers. It's quite the look, one that Shouta know's would have Izuku spiraling into an episode instantly. But things are different this time, Shouta knows they are. 

If only Bakugo had remembered that. 

Shouta is slightly startled by the growling noise that comes from his son. From his angle, Shouta can just barely make out toxic green eyes meeting burning carmine. Variant. Knowing where this is going, Shouta rests a hand on Variant's shoulder to try and ground the kid in his rage, keep him from no doubt attacking Bakugo right there in the court room. 

Shouta feels Variant relax under his touch, and is thankful for it. 

Until the fool that was his son's bully decides to continue provoking his now psychotic victim. Shouta is starting to be of the opinion this kid deserves what's coming to him. 

 

True enough, Shouta barely has time to react as Variant practically vaults over the barrier in an attempt to get to Bakugo. Just fast enough, Shouta manages to grab Variant by the hips and waist and keep him back all while the guards accompanying Bakugo pull the no terrified teen back by the shoulders.

Shouta sets his stance as Variant resists, his hands coming to push against Shouta's, trying to escape. 

And that's when Shouta sees it. Sparking energy trails, something like lightning but barely the width of embroidery thread, lacing it way down Variant's arms as his struggles gain more momentum and strength. 

Shouta doesn't want to do it, he know how Izuku will react, but he has no choice if he wants to keep Variant from doing something he'll regret. 

Shouta activates his quirk. And Variant falls limp in his hold. 

By this point the guards have managed so secure Bakugo back across the court room, far away from them as Izuku is forced to the surface of the mind. 

 

Izuku starts to tremble violently; terrified, hysterical sobs wrenching their way up and out of his throat. 

"Let me go, let us go! We're sorry. Don't let him hurt us!" he cries. 

The commotion that had once filled the court room due to the altercation once again falls silent as the terror and desperation in Izuku's voice is clearly heard. 

Izuku presses his back into into Shouta, who stands behind him, now clinging to one of the arms that was around his waist, "Bring Variant back! We'll behave, we promise!" 

The judge nods to Shouta, who gladly releases his quirk. 

He catches Izuku as he goes limp, and keeps hold of him as Variant returns to fronting, clearly disoriented. 

While Variant is getting his bearings, Nedzu speaks up, "Your honor I motion for Midoriya-kun to be permitted to remove himself from the court room. Clearly it is detrimental to his already precarious mental health." 

"I'm fine." Variant attempts to snap, but the wavering in his voice and swaying of his stance takes any edge out of the protest. 

The judge nods, "Motion sustained. Eraserhead please see Midoriya-kun out of the court room. You are free to leave as well seeing as you are his guardian and appointed chaperone." 

Shouta nods and wraps an arm around Variant's back, "Come on kid, let's get you somewhere safe." He murmurs. 

Variant simply nods, leaning heavily into Shouta's side, and lets himself be led out of the court room. 

---

---

Variant settles himself into Eraser's side, relying heavily on him for support as they leave the room. His vision is swimming and static buzzes in his ears. He can feel the pounding of his heart and is struggling to keep his breaths even and controlled. 

As they round the corner of the hallway, Variant stumbles. He would have fallen had Eraser not quickly taken hold of him to steady him once more. 

Eraser crouches down to his level and looks him in the eyes, "You okay there Problem Child?" he asks, still keeping hold of Variant by his upper arms. 

Variant, for his part, just stares at him, blinking slowly as the words fail to process. 

Okay? How can they be okay? 

<We aren't. Zu isn't doing well. I think he's going into shock.> Chance informs him. 

That would explain the low feelings of panic Variant can feel rising in his chest. 

"Variant?" Eraser speaks again, "Talk to me kiddo, what's going on in that head of yours?" he asks softly. 

<Zu wants you back here. He doesn't think it's safe for any of us to be out right now.> Chance explains.  

Variant shakes his head and whines a bit. He can't leave now, not until they're safe.

"No? Not good?" Eraser interprets. 

Variant hums, swaying a bit before letting himself fall forward into Eraser's chest. As expected, Eraser catches him easily, bringing his arms up and around Variant, one across his back and the other with a hand resting on the back of his head and thumbing at his curls. 

"You're okay kid. You're safe now. I won't let anything hurt you." Eraser murmurs into his hair. 

Variant whines again, hands coming up to grasp at the hero's suit jacket as he buries his face in the crook of his neck. 

<Let Aizawa handle keeping us safe. We all need to be together right now. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep Zu calm without you here with us.>

He needs to go back? Izuku needs him. But are they really safe now?

"I'm going to pick you up now okay? Just relax, I've got you." Eraser tells him. 

Variant nods absently, stiffening slightly as his is lifted into their father's grasp and held close. Variant releases a breath and lets the tension drain from his form. 

Eraser is here now, they're safe. Variant can take a break now. They all can.

With that thought, Variant closes his eyes, and slips back into the mindscape. 

---

Chance isn't really sure what to do right now. 

Currently he is sitting on the couch with Izuku curled up in his lap and shaking like a leaf. Due to the wetness building on his shirt, Chance is pretty sure Izuku is crying as well. 

"You're okay Zu. You're safe. Nothing can get you here." Chance tries assuring him.

Admittedly Chance is a bit upset with Aizawa right now. He knows that Variant was getting out of hand. But at the same time by using his quirk on Variant, that leaves either Izuku or Chance to get pulled to the front. And unfortunately, Chance wasn't able to take control before Izuku did. 

So here they are, Izuku hiding in Chance's lap, terrified. 

"We need Variant." A soft voice insists. 

"What?" Chance asks.

"Variant, we need Variant. No more hurting, it's not safe." Izuku practically begs 

"Zu wants you back here. He doesn't think it's safe for any of us to be out right now." He tells Variant. 

And yet Variant insists he needs to stay out until he knows they are safe. Chance will give him that, it is his job as protector to ensure their safety before he leaves fronting. 

"Noooooo. He needs to come back! Bring him back Chance!" Izuku cries, sobs renewing in their severity. 

Shit. Not good. 

Chance pets Izuku's hair and shushes him softly, "He's coming, Zu. He just needs to make sure the body is safe before he comes back. That's his job remember?" 

Izuku sniffles miserably, but nods. 

"Let Aizawa handle keeping us safe. We all need to be together right now. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep Zu calm without you here with us." He instructs. 

It takes a bit, but eventually Variant finally makes his way back into the mind scape. 

 

Izuku turns his head and looks over at Variant, still sniffling. 

"I'm here Izuku. I'm here. We're all safe now." Variant assures tiredly.

"Are you sure?" Izuku asks softly, and he sounds so small.

Variant nods. "Eraser is holding us and keeping us safe. I promise we are going to be okay." 

Izuku huffs but doesn't protest any further. Instead he holds out a hand to Variant. "Come sit with us."

A fond smile spreads across Variant's face. "Okay okay, I'm coming." 

Variant settles himself on the couch next to Chance and Izuku stretches his legs out across his lap. 

"Are you comfortable there Zu?" Variant teases. 

Izuku smiles slightly and nods, "Absolutely." 

Chance sighs fondly, "You two are ridiculous, you know that?" 

Izuku giggles and Variant just smirks, "But you put up with us anyway." 

"Of course I do. We're all in this together." Chance confirms. 

 

The three sit in silence for a long time, none of them even bothering to check where the body is. Zawa has them, they'll be fine. 

 

"We need to talk about the stunt you pulled in the court room Variant." Chance says, breaking the silence. 

Variant groans, "I know what I did was stupid, you don't have to remind me Chance." Variant replies. 

"I thought you were going to kill him Variant." Izuku comments. 

Variant sighs, "I wasn't going to kill him. But someone certainly was." 

"You felt it too then?" Chance asks. 

Variant nods, "I did. And even if I could have, I'm not really sure I wanted to stop him." He admits. 

"Are you prepared to kill Bakugo?" Chance asks him simply. 

"I don't know. Are you all prepared to kill Bakugo?" Variant asks instead. 

There's a long silence. 

"I think until we have our answer, we don't need to worry about whoever that was that took control in the court room." Chance relents. 

"I agree. After all, there's no one new in here." Variant points out. 

"But there is the fourth door frame." Izuku points out.

"We'll know who it is when the time comes I suppose." Chance says. 

 

Izuku yawns then, causing the other two to laugh. 

"You tired Zu?" Variant asks. 

Izuku nods, "Mhmm." He replies, burying his face in Chance's chest. 

"Get some sleep Zu. We'll be here when you wake up." Chance tells him. 

Izuku simply nods, before going slack in their hold. 

 

"Are you mad at me Chance?" Variant asks. 

Chance shakes his head, "No, I'm not. I think what you did was perfectly justified. Bakugo is a threat and needs to be dealt with accordingly." 

"Hopefully I didn't ruin our chances at getting him convicted." Variant muses. 

"He provoked us. If anything I think it will work out in our favor." Chance tells him. 

"I sure as hell hope so." 

---

---

The atmosphere in the court room is tense as Aizawa led Izuku down the aisle and out of the court room. 

Inui isn't all that surprised by this turn of events. Nothing good could have come from putting Izuku in the same room as his abuser, supervised and separated or otherwise. However, much like everyone else, Inui was powerless to stop it. 

The only good thing, if it can really be called that, is that it was clear to the entire court room that Bakugo was the one to instigate the altercation. 

 

"Inui-san," Nedzu speaks up, "Perhaps now would be a good time to present your psychological evaluation of Midoriya-kun." The rat suggests.

Inui nods, "Very well." He then turns to address the judge, "Permission to present my findings to the court your honor?" he asks. 

"Permission granted. Please proceed." Comes the reply. 

And so Inui makes his way up front to the stand, carrying the folder that he had been keeping all of the documentation involving Izuku in. After competing his oath, he then sits by the microphone and begins to speak. 

 

"My name is Inui Ryo also known as the pro hero Hound Dog. I am a licensed psychiatrist and counselor. I was appointed as Midoriya-kun's mental health professional." He introduces himself to the court.

"Midoriya is currently in treatment and recovery for a violent psychotic break that occurred during the incident at Aldera Junior High. Following this incident was when Midoriya was first placed into my care. It has been concluded that Midoriya Izuku can be diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, severe anxiety, ADHD, Manic Depression and and Dissociative Identity Disorder. As a result of sustained trauma and abuse, Midoriya has developed two alternate personalities that his mind deems necessary to protect itself. The protector of these two was seen during the altercation with Bakugo moments ago. His name is Variant, and he is responsible for ensuring the safety of the body and Midoriya himself. He is also the one responsible for the Aldera Incident, which was an act of self defense combined with a quirk manifestation. The other is named Chance. He is the caretaker personality, responsible for key decision making and logical thinking. He was formed during Midoriya's time in inpatient care. 

"Midoriya was in inpatient care for six months, during which time I met with him three times a week to work towards better stabilizing his mind and psyche, along with addressing his trauma bonding to Aizawa Shouta, also known as pro hero Eraserhead. Following his rescue from the Aldera Incident, Midoriya has since latched on to Aizawa and his mind has identified the man as being safety. Currently was are still working on Midoriya being able to maintain long term distance from the hero. 

"Midoriya's mind is hyper focused on the concept of safety as a result of his longterm abuse at the hands of Bakugo and their peers. It is his main priority and in the case of Variant, anything will be done to achieve it. At this time, I have deemed Midoriya to still be in a state of psychosis seeing as he is still largely unstable and a danger to himself when an episode is triggered. Longterm treatment will be continued for the foreseeable future." 

Inui finishes his report and gives the room, mainly the jury, time to process everything he has just reported.

Even he can admit, it's a lot for just one individual to be faced with. 

 

"Does the defense have any questions at this time?" the judge asks Bakugo's attorney. 

"No your honor, we do not. Thank you Inui-san for the report." Is the man's reply. Admittedly the man looks a bit shaken now that the facts of Izuku's current state have been officially laid out. Not to mention the altercation that Bakugo had just provoked. 

The man certainly has his work cut out for him. 

 

"Very well. And at this time the court would like to once again call Bakugo Katsuki to the stands. And I suggest you behave this time young man." The judge says. 

Bakugo nods nervously before rising and being led to the stands. 

---

Katsuki will admit provoking Deku was stupid. 

He just couldn't help himself. It's the shitty nerd's fault that Katsuki is in this mess in the first place. As if taking Katsuki's quirk from him wasn't enough. 

When Deku launched himself over the barrier, he gave Katsuki a fucking heart attack. The look in his eye was the same one he had when he attacked Katsuki back at Aldera. It was a look that he knows promises pain. It's a look that instills fear into Katsuki, not that he wants to admit it. 

The sudden change in Deku when the man, a hero apparently, activated his quirk was startling. Suddenly the violent attacker was back to being the weak Deku Katsuki is so intimately familiar with. Gone was the malice and snarls, instead having left for the shaking crying and pleading. 

It was weird to say the least. 

Then Deku was removed from the court room, as if he hadn't just tried to attack Katsuki! What the hell? Why isn't the stupid nerd not getting punished for these things!?

Then Hound Dog went to the stands and reviewed Deku's mental state. Had Katsuki really caused all of that? That can't be right. All he did was rough the nerd up a bit...right? Sure he used his quirk on him sometimes, but he wasn't the only one to hurt Deku! Why is it being made out to look like it was all Katsuki?

Then again, all the shitty teachers have already been punished for what they did to Deku. So now it's Katsuki's turn then? Whatever. 

After Hound Dog is finished with his report, Katsuki is once again called up. He's also threatened to behave. Fuck, it's not as if he has a choice. Just look at how badly simply glaring at the nerd went. 

Like hell Katsuki is going to try anything else!

---

---

Shouta does his best not to jostle his son as he carries him down the hall. 

From what he can tell, there isn't currently anyone fronting at all. Shouta thinks it's safe to assume that after what happened in the court room, all three of them have decided to retreat into the safety of the mindscape for the time being. 

Which is fine. They deserve the rest and Shouta intends to take good care of them in the mean time. 

For now, Shouta plans to take them home and get Izuku settled somewhere safe, comfortable and warm. Nao already sent him a texts assuring him that he would find a ride home and that Shouta was free to take the car to get them back to the apartment. 

Shouta should probably text Hitoshi and Hizashi to warn them that they are coming home and to update them on Izuku's current condition. It would probably be best that Hizashi is gone before they get home, just in case Izuku does wake up before Shouta can get him settled somewhere secluded and quiet. 

Izuku doesn't so much as stir as Shouta carries him down the halls and out of the court house. Shouta tries not to think about how eerily similar this situation is to when he first carried Izuku out of that school all those months ago. 

Once they have reached the car, Shouta gets Izuku settled in the back seat and buckles his seatbelt. Still nothing, no sigh of Izuku or the others coming back out of the mindscape. 

Shouta climbs into the front seat and takes a moment to collect himself. Sighing softly, he pulls out of the space they are parked in. It's time to go home.

---

To say Hitoshi was worried is an understatement. Don't misunderstand, he by no means wanted to go to the court house with everyone else. The last time he was in court was when he was placed in his previous...guardians' care. 

Naomasa and Shouta didn't want him staying behind by himself, so they asked Hizashi to come over and keep him company. 

Hizashi has decided the best way to keep him occupied was to get in an extra day of training. Hitoshi reluctantly agreed, after all Izu wouldn't want him to be slacking off just because he was worried about him. 

Regardless it was obvious to Hizashi that Hitoshi was still quite distracted. As such they limited their training today to simple routines they've done hundreds of times by now.

Eventually though, they did have to head back to the apartment. Which leads us to now; Hitoshi absentmindedly running through Mementos to fill his persona compendium because he doesn't have the brain capacity to actually infiltrate a palace right now.

And that's when his phone rings, scaring the shit out of both him and Hizashi.

 

"Hello?" Hitoshi answers once he's composed himself. 

"Hitoshi? It's Shouta." Replies the familiar voice.

"Shouta? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Hitoshi asks, panic already rising. 

"You could say that. Izuku is fine though, so you don't need to worry. I just ended up having to bring him home early." Shouta explains, "Is Hizashi still there?" 

Hitoshi nods, then remembers Shouta can't actually see him, "He is." 

"Great. Can you hand him the phone please?" Shouta asks. 

"Sure. Here." Hitoshi holds the phone out to Hizashi who is sitting on the other end of the couch, "Shouta wants to talk to you." 

Hizashi takes the phone, "What's up Shouta?"

"I'm sitting in the parking lot with Izuku. I had to bring him home early. I'm going to need you to leave before I take him up. He's in no shape for visitors at the moment." Shouta tells him. 

"Sure thing Shouta. I'll text you when I'm out of the building. Sound good?" Hizashi replies. 

"Sounds great. Thanks Zashi, I owe you one." Shouta says. 

"Nonsense! I just wish there was more I could do to help." Hizashi argues. 

Shouta huffs, "Of course you do. We'll have to hang out some time soon. I promise. Thanks for being patient with me these past few months." 

"No problem. It's not like its anything I'm not used to." Hizashi teases. 

"Shut up and get out of my apartment you menace." 

Hizashi laughs, "Whatever you say. See you Shouta!" 

"Bye Zashi. Can you hand the phone back to Hitoshi?" Shouta requests. 

Hizashi hands the phone back to the kid. 

"Shouta?" Hitoshi wonders. 

"Hey kid. I'm going to be bringing Izuku up soon. Just a heads up. He's not in the best mental state right now, so we'll need to be gentle with him." Shouta explains. 

"Okay. Thanks for telling me. See you when you get up here." Hitoshi responds. 

"Of course. Thanks Hitoshi." The line goes dead. 

 

"Welp! That's my cue!" Hizashi chirps. "I'll see you later listener. Have a good night. Say hi to Izuku for me." He calls out as he walks to the front door. 

Hitoshi smiles, "I will. Thanks Hizashi. See you at our next training session." 

"Absolutely! See ya!" and with that, Hizashi walks out the door of the apartment, leaving Hitoshi all alone.

At least until Shouta and Izuku get home. 

Hitoshi can't help but wonder what could have happened that lead to Izuku needing to be brought home early. Kami only knows given Izuku was in the same room as Bakugo. 

---

Shouta does his best not to jostle Izuku too much as he carries his son up the stairs from the parking lot then as they stand in the elevator as it rises to their floor. 

Once at the door, Shouta knocks lightly with his shoe. 

The door opens almost instantly to reveal a flustered Hitoshi. 

"You're back." He says, sounding panicked. 

"We're back and we both are fine. Calm down kid." Shouta responds, walking past him into the room. 

Hitoshi bends down and helps Shouta pull his shoes off without prompting, which is appreciated. He then follows behind Shouta as he makes his way into the apartment and settles himself on the couch with Izuku in his lap. 

"So why are you guys home early? Where's Naomasa? Is Izu okay?" Hitoshi asks, taking a seat on the other couch.

"Naomasa is still at the court house. I left early with Izuku so he's still there while the session finishes. As for Izuku, right now there's no one fronting. I think they're all taking a break after today's events. Which is justified." Shouta begins explaining. 

"Okay... What exactly did happen?" Hitoshi presses. 

Shouta sighs, "In short, Bakugo provoked an interaction, which in turn caused Variant to front and lead to him trying to attack Bakugo." He tells him, "For what it's worth, the kid looked sufficiently spooked when Variant tried to vault over the barrier to get to him." 

Hitoshi's eyes widen. "Is Izuku in trouble?" 

"No, he's not. It was clear to everyone in the room that Bakugo was the one the one to blame for starting it." Shouta answers, "I had to use my quirk on Variant because he kept fighting me to get to Bakugo, which brought Izuku to the front." Shouta pauses, "He was terrified. He was begging not to be hurt. The judge gave me permission to release my quirk, then Nedzu motioned for Izuku to be removed from the court room. As such, we are back home." 

Hitoshi nods, "It's probably for the best. I know Izuku has been stressing over the whole thing for the past week." 

"You do have a point. I just wish we could have avoided such a huge confrontation." Shouta replies, "Now however, all that is left is to support Izuku in the aftermath of such an incident." 

"Are you going to be sitting with him out here?" Hitoshi asks. 

Shouta nods, "For now. If he wakes up and decides he wants to be somewhere else then I will accommodate, but currently I plan to stay out here. Maybe watch you play what ever game you've got going this time." He says with a smirk. 

"And by watch you mean backseat game." Hitoshi corrects. 

"Of course." 

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

Midterms are over, and they went pretty well actually. Now it's just keeping up with everything for the second half of the semester. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it.

So what did we think? Who called it? You had to have been expecting something to happen with Variant and Bakugo during the trial. It would be wrong to not have something happen, given how this fic tends to go.

As for the future. I'm planning on having a chapter of mostly interactions between Izuku, Variant and Chance. It was an idea given to me by a few people in my discord server. It seemed like a nice change of pace after a heavy chapter like this one.
Let me know if there's specific scenes you guys want to see! Put them in the comments! I'm excited to see what you guys come up with.

As for the art being added, Plantah and I have a whole list of scenes, one per chapter for the most part, that we've decided to bring to life! So get excited for that too!! Give Plantah some love in the comments for me too.

Like I said before, Insanity Is My Strife will also be getting an update soon. I know it took me forever, I just needed to figure out a little bit more on what I was planning on doing for that fic. That and I don't have a ton of time to write currently, but I try my best.
I appreciate you guys' patience with me and my nonexistent update schedule.

Well that's all I have for now. Thanks for reading! Leave me some feedback! Your comments really get my inspiration going!

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 16: HELP ME (not an update)

Summary:

Arrow is dying. Save your poor author.

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

I know I know, I'm teasing you all. I'm sorry. You just want the next chapter. I read the comments.
You are giving me an existential crisis with all this positive feedback. Discord finds my panic hilarious. 

However.

I've been struggling to write the next chapter for a while now. I want to give you guys a fluffy-ish chapter before we dive into yet more intense stuff.

So this is me asking what you guys want to see. I'll take whatever at this point. I can do Izuku, Chance and Variant interactions in the mindscape. I can interactions around the house. Yes, I can do something with Stephan. Hell, if you wanna see something with the other heroes, I can do that too.

I just don't want to leave you guys hanging without a chapter for an eternity while I struggle with this chapter that really shouldn't be this hard.

So please, help a girl out at writing normal human interactions and not states of crisis. (I swear I'm not this bad at socializing in real life alright? Writing is just... different.)

Thanks for understanding, you guys are awesome!

>---> Arrow 

Chapter 17: Finding The Fear

Summary:

failing falling; finding the fear
struggling starved; striving to shatter
~~
The aftermath of Bakugo's trial.
Mostly fluff. Mostly.

Notes:

I have returned!

I know it took me a while, but I'm here. This chapter gave me some trouble, which I'm sure you all know thanks to last chapter.

Thank you to all those who commented suggestions! You were a great help!
You'll notice this chapter is pretty long, there's lots to enjoy. Hopefully that makes up for the longer wait.

Let me know what you think!
ENJOY :)

"It's been several hours." Chance points out, "One of us should probably front so Aizawa and the others don't start worrying."

Izuku shakes his head from his place on Variant's lap and buries his face further into Variant's neck while whining, "Noooooo."

Chance sighs, unwilling to argue with Izuku right now, "Variant?" he questions.

Variant smirks, "I can't Isn't it against the rules to move when you have a cat sitting on you?"

Chance gives him an unimpressed look, "Izuku isn't a cat." He deadpans.

"Mrrrrow?" Izuku squeaks out, trying and failing to hid a giggle.

Variant raises an eyebrow at Chance in challenge.

Chance narrows his eyes, "You hate cats." He reminds Variant.

"Sure, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to incite their wrath." Variant replies.

Chance sighs heavily, exhaustion radiating from him. "Fine. You win! I'll do it!" he concedes.

Variant smiles in victory and sits back on the couch.

"Great. Have fun." He teases.

                                 

---

When Chance comes to, it's to the sound of soft voices. It takes a minute until his senses all filter and settle into something coherent. When they finally do, he recognizes the voices as those belonging to Sho-san and Hitoshi. They're not quite arguing, more like bantering. And Chance is content to just listen to them talk.

Absently he wonders where he actually is. Whatever he's resting on is warm, and not just temperature. There's a sense of comfort he gets from being near it.

And that doesn't make any logical sense.

It takes a rumble under his ear when Sho-san chuckles for it to click. Chance is sitting upright on Sho-san's lap, leaning against his chest. The hero has one arm around Chance's lower back, his hand rubbing in occasional circles, and the other resting in his curls, teasing them and massaging at his scalp and neck.

Chance's immediate thought is to get away, get distance, get to safety; but as Sho-san continues his comforting ministrations Chance finds himself relaxing against his will. Relaxing without reason is a strange experience for sure.

Normally Chance isn't one for physical affection, he doesn't really like being touched. But sitting here on Sho-san's lap, he finds he quite likes it this time. He sighs in contentment.

Maybe he'll just stay like this for a while. 

---

Shouta is having a great time with Hitoshi. Admittedly a much better time than he would have been sitting next to Izuku and trying to keep him some semblance of calm.

They've been playing Persona for at least a few hours now. Unsurprisingly, Shouta hasn't received any notice from Nao saying that he is on his way home.

It's while watching Hitoshi stealth his way through the bar area, slipping from the shadow of pillar after pillar (which in the lighting of that room would not be a suitable hiding place at all he thinks idly) that the child on his lap sighs heavily.

It nearly startles Shouta, after so long of having dead weight on his lap. And as heaving as the sigh may have been, Shouta knows his son well enough by now to recognize that this is one of contentment.

Good, that's good. The last thing he needs is for their first reaction to be panicking. It speaks volumes as to the progress they have made that their first thought when waking up isn't assuming that they are in danger.

And judging by the side glance Hitoshi sends in their direction, he noticed the stirring of his brother as well.

That said, neither one of them has any intention of rousing them until they're ready. So for now they are content to just wait.

---

---

By the time Naomasa got home, it was well into the evening.

The rest of the trial went fine. There weren't very many people left to call up to the stands. It was mainly just Bakugo and a few of the defense's individuals.

Naomasa will admit it was hard listening to Bakugo testify. It was clear the child held no remorse for his actions. It was also saddening, because the child was clearly still trying to accept why he was even being put on trial. It just goes to show how thoroughly society has failed both him and Izuku.

 

Inui and Nedzu ended up giving him a ride home. The two of them also came up with him to check on Izuku after the incident in the court room. They were all worried about Izuku, and for good reason. When went down in the court room was surely going to have some lasting repercussions on Izuku's mental health.

 

Naomasa quietly opens the front door as lets the two walk in behind him.

"Sho, I'm home." He calls out, making his way into the apartment while Nedzu and Inui wait by the door. Naomasa wants to make sure that Izuku is up for visitors before bringing them further into the apartment. 

Upon reaching the family room, Naomasa is greeted with an adorable sight.

Shouta is sitting in on the couch with Chance on his lap, holding a PS4 controller. Beside them is Hitoshi, who is curled into Shouta's side with the hero's arm around his shoulders.

They all look up upon his appearance in the doorway.

Naomasa chuckles, "Well don't you three look comfy." He teases.

Shouta and Hitoshi give him matching glares while Chance simply shrugs. None of them make any effort to change positions however.

"Chance, Nedzu and Inui are here. Think you're up for visitors?" Naomasa asks.

Chance thinks on it a moment, eyes going hazy as he no doubt runs it by the other two alters. When clarity returns he nods his assent, "We'll be fine."

True. Well at least he's not pretending to be fine. That seems more like something Variant or Hitoshi would do.

Speaking of Hitoshi, Naomasa needs to check on how he's holding up. The boy hasn't exactly been forthcoming with that kind of information. But that's a task for another day. Possibly tomorrow.

Having received the go ahead from Chance, Naomasa heads back to the front door and retrieves their guests, leading them to the family room. When they arrive, Chance is now sitting on the opposite side of Shouta from Hitoshi.

"Hello Chance!" Nedzu chirps in greeting.

Chance smiles, "Hello Nedzu-sensei."

"How are you feeling? You had quite a bit of excitement today." Nedzu then asks.

Chance's calm and even expression falters for but a moment. "Better," he answers, "better now that we're home." True.

"And what about the other two boys, Variant and Izuku? How are they faring?" Inui follows up, taking a seat on the empty couch. Nedzu instead makes himself comfortable on the floor while Naomasa sits on the other side of Hitoshi.

Chance falters before answering, the turmoil clear on his face. Naomasa knows Chance isn't one to be forthcoming with information about the alters.

"Izuku isn't doing well." He eventually admits, "But Variant is with him, so he should be alright for now." True.

Inui nods, "Well if you boys need anything, don't be afraid to ask. We're here to help you."

Chance gives him a disbelieving look, clearly unsure of whether or not the adults can be trusted with this. "Okay."

"How did the rest of the trial go?" Shouta asks, no doubt trying to change the focus from a clearly uncomfortable Chance.

Naomasa decides to answer this one, "It went pretty smoothy after you left." He tells him, "Inui gave his testimony then Bakugo was once again called to the stands. The kid looked thoroughly cowed by that point. I think Variant gave him a heart attack." He admits.

"Asshole fucking deserves it." Hitoshi mutters. True.

Naomasa would be lying if he tried to say he disagreed with his son (and he tries his best not to lie. His quirk isn't particularly fond of when he does). That said he can't just voice his agreeance, not as one of the adults in the room.

"While I don't disagree with you, let's try to keep said opinions to ourselves hm?" Inui suggests.

Hitoshi shrinks, "Sorry."

Chance leans across Shouta and tugs at Hitoshi's hands that are clenched tight into fists on his lap, "Calm down, I for one completely agree. I don't see why you would need to keep it quiet if everyone was thinking it." He says, sending a glare in Inui's direction.

Hmmm, protective much? Interesting.

"As for the verdict of the session, it will be a few more days before it is announced. So now it's just a waiting game." Nedzu finishes.

Chance doesn't look overly impressed by that prospect. Unfortunately there's nothing they can do about it.

"Chance," Inui begins, "is Variant willing to speak with me?" he asks.

"If you're going to scold me you can save your breath. I'm not apologizing." Variant snaps, having taken to fronting without hesitation. That's one thing they've noticed. Whenever Variant starts fronting, it's instantaneous. It's likely to be a form of defense mechanism.

"I wasn't planning on scolding you. I just wanted to see how you were doing after what happened." Inui explains.

Variant frowns, "I'm fine I guess. I'll be better when he gets what he deserves. But for now I guess I'll just have to be satisfied with at least scaring Bakugo." He finishes, shrugging.

"And what were you intending to do, if I may ask?" Inui presses. "You fought Aizawa pretty hard when trying to get to him."

Variant makes a face, "I wasn't going to try and kill him, if that's what you're trying to ask. I've learned that murder doesn't solve problems. It causes more of them. At least when in the middle of a court house." He replies.

True. Naomasa isn't sure how he feels about the fact that he wasn't expecting Variant to be telling the truth on that one.

"I guess I just wanted to hurt him. He makes me so angry. Who the hell does he think he is that he expects to get away with the shit? He's hurt us for so long, I don't see why I shouldn't do the same. See how he likes it."

The mood in the room drops a bit. "You know assault isn't a legal solution either." Inui raises.

Variant smirks, "I do. I just can't say I particularly care. My job is to keep Zu safe, not fit into societal standards. And so long as Bakugo is around, I don't consider us entirely safe."

"I understand. I won't be convincing you otherwise at this juncture, so I see no point in pressing the matter." Inui relents.

And that's something Naomasa can appreciate about Inui; he knows when not to press, when he's not going to gain anything from arguing with any of the alters. And if there's anything they've all learned, it's that one doesn't gain very much when arguing morality with Variant.

"Alright then, what about Izuku? He's the only one we haven't heard from yet." Inui continues on.

Variant shakes his head, "Zu isn't coming out, so don't even try."

"Is he alright?" Shouta then asks.

Variant shrugs, "He will be. Let us take care of this one Eraser. You can't fix everything." He tells the hero.

Shouta looks caught of guard by the comment, but otherwise doesn't respond. If there's anything the Naomasa knows about his husband, it's that Shouta is the kind of person that wants to fix everything for those he loves.

 

Naomasa decides it's time to intervene before things get more depressing than they already are.

"Well who's hungry?" Naomasa asks, "I know I am, and I get the feeling the three of you haven't eaten yet either." He accuses, sending a pointed look in the direction of the couch his family is sitting on.

Shouta breaks eye contact, the action mirrored by Hitoshi. It's becoming more and more apparent how alike these two are. It's a bit scary at times.

Meanwhile, Variant looks totally unrepentant. "We were a bit busy Tsuka. I can't say food was on the list of priorities this afternoon."

Naomasa shakes his head, "That's where you're wrong Variant, food should always be a priority." He corrects. This gains a few chuckles around the room.

Variant gives him a strange look at that. Naomasa tries not to read too much into it for now.

"What about you two?" he asks Inui and Nedzu, "Are you staying for dinner?"

"We wouldn't want to impose..." Inui begins.

"Illogical. Nao is always looking for an excuse to cook. If anything you're doing him a favor. You two are welcome to stay. A home cooked meal will do us all some good after today." Shouta interrupts.

"Well in that case allow me to help out Tsukauchi. I also happen to know my way around a kitchen." Inui insists.

"If you want, you're welcome to. Follow me." He replies, leading the way into the kitchen.

He then pokes his head out of the doorway, "You four should find some way to entertain yourselves in the mean time." He directs, relishing in the cornered looks all but Nedzu give him. He exchanges an expectant look with Shouta before returning to the kitchen to start on dinner.

 

"So what did you plan on making Tsukauchi?" Inui asks him.

Naomasa thinks a moment. "We could do a fried rice. We have a bunch of random ingredients that can be thrown in."

He goes over the the fridge and opens the door to find glittering green cat eyes staring at him from the middle shelf of the fridge. Naomasa startles at the unexpected sight, causing him to release the door and it then slamming shut. Confused and caught off guard, Naomasa opens the fridge door again, only this time all he sees in the usual contents of the fridge.

Weird. None of their cats are grey.

---

"Well then! What shall we engage in to entertain ourselves?" Nedzu asks the remaining occupants of the room.

Hitoshi can see the conniving  look in his eyes and is suddenly very, very afraid.

"You don't get to make suggestions Sensei. We would all like to survive tonight with our sanity intact." Shouta tells Nedzu.

Hitoshi wonders where he gets the nerve to be so direct with Nedzu. Nedzu is, quite frankly, terrifying to Hitoshi. (Almost as terrifying as Variant)

"Very well Shouta-kun." Nedzu replies, smile still present, "Then what do you have in mind?"

There's a brief silence before Hitoshi decides to speak up. "We could play a game. Like a card game or a board game." He suggests.

It's when Shouta gives him a look of pure horror that Hitoshi realizes what he just suggested.

Playing a game. A game with Nedzu.

Fuck.

 

"I think that's a wonderful idea!" Nedzu chirps.

"Count me out. I'm not one for games." Variant cuts in, promptly bowing out.

Chance sways in place upon being abruptly pulled to the front. He's only saved from falling off the couch by Shouta reaching out and grabbing his arm to steady him.

"Damn, why must he do that?" Chance mutters. "You said we're playing a game? Sounds fun."

The look in Chance's usually bored eyes has Hitoshi thinking that Nedzu isn't the only one they have to fear. A quick glance at Shouta tells him the man is thinking much the same.

---

"What are we doing that we need to be at the dining room table?" Chance inquires, taking a seat in their usual chair.

Hitoshi slides into the seat across from him, "We're playing Uno."

"What's Uno?" Chance then asks, confused.

Hitoshi gives him an appalled look. "You don't know what Uno is!?" he exclaims.

Chance just meets his eyes, unmoved.

A beat, two beats, then, "Right. Uno is a card game," Hitoshi begins, trying valiantly to ignore the reality of the situation.

Chance simply smiles in victory as he listens to the explanation.

---

"Why are sitting at the dining room table?" Shouta asks as he slumps into his own chair next to Chance.

Hitoshi groans, not this again. Do these people not realize they need somewhere to actually play the game.

"See? I'm not the only one who would rather be on the couch." Chance interjects.

"We're playing Uno." He informs his guardian. "And we need somewhere to play it. Hence the use of a table." He explains, pulling out the cards and starting to shuffle half of them.

"And you explained what Uno is to Chance correct?" Shouta checks. He then leans over and grabs the other half of the deck to shuffle.

Chance laughs while Hitoshi drops his head to the table with a loud thump.

Naomasa pokes his head into the dining room, "Shouta what did you do to kill our son this time?" he questions with a smile.

"Pointed out the obvious." Chance answers for him. Which is followed by Hitoshi banging his head against the table.

"Hitoshi, please stop trying to give yourself a concussion. It would severely hinder your chances of winning Uno." Nedzu requests, knowing full well what he's doing.

Hitoshi has to resist the urge to knock himself out.

---

Hitoshi exchanges a very done look with Shouta. 

Nedzu and Chance have spent the last fifteen minutes taking turns saying uno. Meanwhile, Hitoshi and Shouta have proceeded to collect half the deck between the two of them.

"So how bout we just let the two of them battle it out?" Hitoshi suggests.

Shouta raises an eyebrow, "Giving up?"

Hitoshi shakes his head, "Tactical retreat. You know, the whole 'live to fight another day' thing."

Shouta thinks a moment, "Very well. Tactical retreat it is then." He agrees; setting his, frankly excessive, hand of cards down on the table.

Hitoshi tries to not feel used as he watches Chance and Nedzu grin maniacally at the fact they have successfully bullied Hitoshi and Shouta into conceding.

                           

---

It only takes a little over five minutes for Chance to lay down his final card, thus ended the game.

The alter makes eye contact with Nedzu, who looks far too pleased with this turn of events.

"I win." He says simply.

Nedzu starts cackling.

Hitoshi leans over to Shouta to whisper, "We're gonna die, aren't we?"

Shouta nods sagely, "And we thought Nedzu with Izuku was bad."

"If we behave do you think they'll spare us when they remake the world?" Hitoshi asks.

"It's worth a shot." Shouta agrees.

 

"Alright you two, you can go back to terrifying Shouta and Hitoshi after we've eaten dinner." Naomasa, mercifully, interrupts.

"We were doing nothing of the sort." Nedzu denies, smile sharp.

"It was just a game of cards." Chance adds.

Hitoshi rolls his eyes, "Sure, right now it's a game of cards. Next you're going to be overthrowing the Hero Commission."

"Then society as we know it." Shouta finishes.

Nedzu and Chance exchange conspiratorial looks that send shivers down Hitoshi's spine.

---

After dinner, they played a couple more games, this time with Naomasa and Inui joining in.

It wasn't just Uno either. Chance was pleasantly surprised to discover that Sho-san and Nao-san have an absurd amount of games stashed away in the apartment. When he asked about it, Sho-san blamed being friends with Hizashi.

The look on Nao-san's face tells Chance that's not entirely the truth.

Either way, it was quite fun. Despite Nedzu usually being the one to win. Chance won a few games, which really just resulted in Nedzu cackling and everyone else looking terrified. It was a good feeling, someone being scared of him for once instead of the other way around.

Eventually however, the excitement of today caught up with Chance. Despite the time they spent in the mindscape, that doesn't actually mean they got any rest today. After all, none of them were actually sleeping. As a result they're crashing hard.

It's Naomasa that notices Chance failing to keep his eyes open first.

"Alright, I think it's time we called it a night." He interrupts the ongoing conversation.

Shouta looks from his husband and over to Chance, and Chance knows what he sees.

Chance is exhausted.

"You're right." Shouta agree. "Say goodnight Chance, then we'll go take care of your night time medications." He tells him.

Chance nods and turns his attention to the others at the table. "Good night, Nedzu-sensei, good night Inui-san." He says, somehow managing to keep his words from slurring.

"Good night Chance!" Nedzu chirps.

"Good night, sleep well." Inui-san replies.

Chance simply nods, waving, then lets Sho-san lead him out of the dining room.

As they walk, Chance takes hold of Sho-san's shirt hem as they walk. He's tired and he doesn't like feeling this vulnerable. It's unnerving.

"You okay kid?" Sho-san asks.

Chance shrugs, "Tired. It's scary." He mumbles.

Sho-san puts an arm around him and Chance leans shamelessly into his side. He's starting to understand why Izuku glues himself to the hero's side. He really does give off an aura of 'safe'.

Sho-san steers Chance over to one of the stools at the kitchen island. Chance is too tired to bother flinching when the man just lifts him up and sits him on the stool he usually sits on.

A minute or two later, a collection of pills are pressed into Chance's hand and a glass of juice is set in front of him on the counter.

Forgoing the usual suspicion over what exactly he's taking, Chance downs the pills in one mouthful, something that's becoming increasingly easier to do as the days go on.

"Alright, go get your pajamas on kiddo." Sho-san then tells him as he slides off the stool. He then gives him a gentle nudge in the direction of the hallway that leads to his and Hitoshi's room.

---

Ten minutes later, Chance is wandering past Hitoshi as he leaves their room and Hitoshi heads in.

Chance heads over to the bathroom, where he bushes his teeth. Then, he has a thought.

<Kami only knows what's going to happen tonight.>

Chance crouches down and opens the door to the cabinet under the sink. He starts looking through the cabinet for the first aid kit he was sent home with. He doesn't really think much of grabbing the green-eyed, grey-furred cat that sits on top of it and setting it down on the floor beside him.

The cat brushes against him before vanishing into thin air, but Chance is too busy digging out what he was looking for to really acknowledge the strange happenstance.

Chance then stumbles out of the bathroom and into family room where Sho-san is sitting on the couch. He can hear Nao-san cleaning up the board game they were playing in the dining room still.

"What's up Chance? Ready for bed?" Sho-san asks.

Chance nods, "I guess. Can you put these on?" he asks softly, avoiding eye contact and placing the bandages he retrieved into the hero's hands.

"Sure thing kid, come take a seat." Sho-san replies, patting the couch beside him.

Chance flops down onto the couch and holds his left arm out, the arm they always start with.

Sho-san wraps his arms, one then the other, in silence. It takes all of Chance's focus to just stay upright at this point.

Once Sho-san is done, he stands and pulls Chance to his feet, leading him by the shoulders to their bedroom.

Chance lets the world fade in and out as he's guided through the motions of getting in bed and being tucked in.

He feels safe. It's nice.

---

Shouta sighs deeply as he settles himself on their bed in the master bedroom. Today had been one hell of a day. Thankfully he's not patrolling tonight. He is thanking his past self for that bit of foresight.

"That was a heavy sigh." Nao's voice commenting startles him slightly.

"It's been a long day Nao. And I didn't even have to sit through the entire trial." Shouta replies.

"No, you didn't. Instead you kept the boys safe from themselves. I'd say that's far more work than standing on ceremony." Nao replies, sitting down beside Shouta.

Shouta lets himself fall sideways into Naomasa, burying his face in his partner's pajama shirt. Nao puts an arm around him and Shouta lets himself relax.

"This is all so messed up Nao." Shouta murmurs into his shoulder.

"I know Sho, but you're doing an excellent job at supporting them through it. Those boys think the world of you." Naomasa points out.

"I know. I just hope I can continue to live up to those expectations." Shouta replies.

"I'm sure you will." Nao encourages.

There's a long stretch of silence in which the two are content to just bask in each other's presence.

"I'm worried about Hitoshi." Naomasa breaks the silence with.

"Any particular reason?" Shouta asks.

Naomasa takes a deep breath, "I don't know, he's just gotten less expressive and open since you two came home." He explains.

"Really? I guess I wouldn't know. He seems like he's getting along well." Shouta replies.

"He is, he seems thrilled to have Izuku home. However he also isn't as expressive as he was before, he seems more closed off. I'm starting to think he's trying to prioritize Izuku in a way. Even if it's not intentional." Nao continues.

"We'll have to talk to him then. We can't have him thinking he's less of a priority than Izuku." Shouta says.

"Right. That aside, you need to start working on bonding more with him." Naomasa adds, looking down at him with a smile.

Shouta gives him a look from his place buried in his collarbone. It fails to maintain any of the intended heat behind it however, given how his husband's grin only widens and he runs a hand through Shouta's hair.

"I'll try. I will admit I've been a bit busy with Izuku. Which I know is not an excuse, but still." Shouta concedes.

"So long as you'll try I won't press the issue." Naomasa answers, followed by a yawn. "I think it's about time we both got some sleep. I get the feeling it's only a matter of time before something happens with Izuku tonight."

Shouta nods, "That's what I'm worried about also." He agrees, sitting up so Nao can make his way over to his side of the bed.

 

"Night Nao." Shouta mumbles into his husband's chest once they're settled together in bed.

Naomasa presses a kiss into his hair, "Good night love."

---

The two are woken maybe two hours later by screaming.

Shouta has shot out of bed in an instant, snatching his capture weapon off the bedside table and bolting out the door. Naomasa isn't far behind him, the fire arm kept in the bedside table in hand.

The screaming is coming from the kids' room. Shouta enters without hesitation.

Inside he sees Hitoshi on the floor, clutching a bleeding forearm to his chest. On the floor the Izuku's capture scarf is strewn everywhere. Across from Hitoshi and nearly backed against the wall, is Variant. The kid has a manic gleam in his eyes as he stares Shouta down in fear. But Variant isn't seeing Shouta is he. Variant is seeing something else. That much is easy to tell.

He's in a defensive position, arms held in front of him, in his left hand are what Shouta thinks are the scissors from the first aid kit.

Shouta hears Naomasa come to a stop behind him in the doorway. "Variant..."

"S-Stay back! Don't come any closer!" He shouts, unable to hide the fear trembling through him. He brandishes the scissors like a weapon, and Shouta doesn't doubt that he's willing to use it on anyone who comes to close. It seems that may have been what happened to Hitoshi already.

"Variant it's me, its Eraser. We're not here to hurt you." Shouta tries reasoning, daring to take a step farther into the room.

"No! No closer. I-I meant it! I'll make you regret ever hurting us! I won't let you hurt us again. You wont lay another hand on us." Variant insists, leveling one of the blades at Shouta.

That confirms it, the kid is hallucinating. He's probably seeing his past abusers. Perhaps he had a nightmare and this is the result of that?

Shouta resists the urge to sigh. He relaxes his posture, and tries to appear nonthreatening, Naomasa following suit. Hitoshi wisely doesn't move from his spot on the floor.

They can see Variant falter at this, but otherwise he doesn't drop his own guard.

"Variant, we're not here to hurt you kid. You're in your and Hitoshi's room in our apartment. Hitoshi is down on the floor, I'm Eraser, and Tsuka is behind me. It's 4:17 am which means its Friday now." Shouta keeps talking, trying to ground the kid and get him to listen.

While Variant's focus is on Shouta, Naomasa makes his way out of the room and down the hallway, hopefully to grab a sedative pen should they need it.

Variant watches Shouta carefully as he listens to what he says. Shouta isn't entirely sure any of it is getting through to him.

He gets his answer when Variant lunges at Shouta, scissors raised and toxic desperation in his eyes. Shouta easily side steps the jab and goes to take hold of Variant's arm. Before he can get proper hold of him however, Variant twists out of his grip, and takes several steps back.

The only reason he didn't step on Hitoshi was that Hitoshi took the distraction as an opportunity to get out of the way. Good.

Variant comes at Shouta again, slashing with scissors fully open and again Shouta dodges. As the two stand and face each other again Shouta acknowledges Variant's solid stance and nimble movement, something he know's the kid wasn't formally taught. Shouta specifically made sure Stephan knew not to teach him anything combat related without Shouta present. And no doubt Izuku would have said something about it if he had. Izuku isn't very great at keeping things from Shouta, for obvious reasons.

Shouta waits for Variant to make his next move. He refuses to go on the offensive. His main objective is to convince Variant that he is safe here. Taking the initiative to attack Variant would have the exact opposite effect.

The two go back and forth for a while, Variant always narrowly avoiding Shouta's attempts to grab him and even managing to get a slash across Shouta's forearm. It's not serious, but it shows Variant has some skill. That said, it's clear that exhaustion is hindering Variant's true combative ability, something that Shouta is thankful for. If Variant was properly fighting him, Shouta wouldn't be able to stay on the offensive and things would go down hill quickly.

Shouta noticed at some point during the fight that Naomasa is standing just inside the doorway, indeed with the sedative pen in hand. Hitoshi stands just behind him, watching warily.

Finally Shouta gets the scissors out of Variant's hand and gets a proper hold on the kid. He pulls his arms behind his back, Variant struggling fiercely. Still no sign of the green lightning that has shown up in the court room. It makes Shouta passively wonder what that was then. Something to worry about later though.

Shouta brings Variant to his knees slowly.

"Let me go! Don't hurt me! Let me go!" Variant exclaims as he continues to struggle.

"I don't want to hurt you Variant, but you need to stop struggling. I can't release you if you're going to attack us again." Shouta replies.

Now he needs to decide if he's going to cancel out Variant. Shouta doesn't want to force Izuku to front again, especially since the kid has been hiding in the mindscape since the incident in the court room.

"Variant?" Hitoshi's voice questions, slight hesitation in his voice.

Variant looks up, "What do you-" he cuts off as his eyes glaze over.

What?

"Stop fighting. You're safe. Relax." Hitoshi commands.

And Shouta watches in awe as Variant goes still, and does just as Hitoshi tells him.

"Nao, the pen." Shouta prompts.

Naomasa doesn't waste any time injecting the sedative into Variant's arm. Shouta releases his restraining hold on the kid and instead shifts him to where Variant is resting on his lap. The kid is still eerily silent, presumably still under the influence of Hitoshi's quirk.

"Hitoshi you can release him now." Shouta tells his other son.

Hitoshi nods and releases Variant.

"R-raser?" Variant questions.

"Hey kiddo. Back with us?" Shouta asks softly.

Variant nods, still panting slightly. "Sorry." He apologizes.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You were scared and acted accordingly. I hope you can forgive me for being so rough with you in return." Shouta replies.

" S'fine." Variant answers, tension in his body still dissolving further.

"Are you okay Variant?" Hitoshi asks.

" 'M okay. You okay? I cut you." Variant then asks.

"I'll live." Hitoshi responds.

Variant hums in response. The sedative is starting to take full effect, seeing as how the kid is boneless against Shouta, the previous trembling having stopped.

"Variant I'm going to move us to the bed okay?" Shouta offers.

Variant nods, closing his eyes.

Shouta gently lifts Variant into his hold and carries him over to the bed. Variant doesn't make any move to help or hinder. He simply allows Shouta to maneuver him as necessary Glad the kid isn't working himself up again, Shouta settles them both on the bed.

"You still with us Variant?" Shouta asks.

Variant nods, "For now. M'tired Eraser." He slurs.

Shouta smiles. "I'm sure you are. That sedative is strong stuff. You can sleep if you want. I'm not going anywhere."

Variant cracks his eyes open, "Safe?" he asks, sounding more vulnerable that Shouta is used to hearing from the protective alter.

Shouta smiles, "You're safe Variant, I promise. You can rest now." He assures.

Variant lets his eyes fall closed, "Thanks Raser" 

 

Shouta looks at the other two in the room once he's sure that Variant is asleep.

"Are you okay Hitoshi?" he asks.

Hitoshi straightens upon being addressed, "I'm fine. He didn't get me too deep. It's my fault for getting too close." Hitoshi answers. "...I just wanted to help..." He then says much softer.

"I know, kid. But you've got to be careful when dealing with Variant. He's irrational at best when he's on the defensive." Shouta replies.

"I think we've all noticed that by now." Hitoshi comments. Shouta lets out a dry chuckle.

"Did he get the scissors from the first aid kit Nao?" Shouta asks his husband.

Nao looks surprised, "He did. How did you know?"

"Chance brought me the bandages to put on their arms before I put them to bed. That would have given him the perfect opportunity to grab them." Shouta explains.

"We'll need to make sure the other kits around the house don't have any sharps where they can get them." Naomasa points out.

"We will. But lets worry about that tomorrow. I think it's time we all got to bed." Shouta replies.

Naomasa hums in agreeance, "Let's go bandage up your hand Hitoshi. Then you can come sleep in our room tonight."

Hitoshi doesn't move right away. "You- you're-" he shakes his head.

"What's on your mind Hitoshi?" Shouta asks gently.

Hitoshi keeps his gaze fixed firmly on the ground, "You're not mad at me?" he says, barely audible.

"Why ever would I be mad at you Hitoshi?" Shouta questions, genuinely confused.

"For using my quirk on Variant." Hitoshi answers.

Shouta shakes his head, "You used your quirk to peacefully deescalate the situation. I don't see anything wrong with that." He tells him, "If anything, I'm grateful you stepped in. I was hesitant to use erasure because I didn't want to force Izuku to the front and potentially cause more harm." He explains.

Hitoshi's eyes widen in surprise. "You mean it?" he asks in awe.

"I do." Shouta confirms, nodding.

Hitoshi's shoulders slump in relief. "I'm glad I could help then."

Naomasa puts a hand on Hitoshi's shoulder, "You did a good job, maybe next time just come to get one of us instead of approaching Variant. The boys would never forgive themselves if they seriously hurt you while in a panic."

"That's right. I know you want to help. And with Izuku you can. But with Variant you need to let me handle it for now. Okay?" Shouta says.

"Yeah, okay." Hitoshi relents, "I can do that. But you had better take good care of him." He insists.

Shouta smiles, "Always kid. Now go let Nao take care of that cut of yours. I'll see you two in the morning."

"Night Shouta." Hitoshi replies.

"Good night Sho." Nao echoes.

Naomasa then leads Hitoshi out of the room, closing the door behind them.

 

Shouta then sets to making himself properly comfortable. If he was tired before, he's exhausted now. 

---

The following morning Variant apologizes profusely to both Shouta and Hitoshi for attacking them the night before. Honestly, Shouta wasn't expecting an apology. And from the look on Hitoshi's face, neither was Hitoshi. 

Shouta considers it significant progress that Variant sees at least some fault in his actions. Mind you, the apology was for thinking they were someone else, and as a result attacking them. It was not for attacking them in general. But Shouta will take what he can get.

If the nightmares continue to be an issue, then Shouta will have to talk to Inui about possible solutions.

Variant didn't really have much of an appetite at breakfast, but that didn't really surprise Shouta. After everything that happened last night he somewhat expected it.

That said, their appetite has been down for the past week, including Izuku refusing to eat at some meals. Shouta can only hope it just doesn't get any worse. He really doesn't want them to have to put the feeding tube back in.

Once he had apologized after breakfast, Chance ended up once again taking over fronting. He and Hitoshi then went on to play more video games. Hitoshi has decided that he's going to get Chance's help with every game he's stuck on now that it's been discovered how good Chance is at video games.

Its mid afternoon and there's still hasn't been any sign of Izuku since he was forced to front in the court room. Shouta is getting really worried. He asked Chance about it again and Chance simply told him to be patient.

Shouta can be patient. For Izuku, he'll do what he has to.

---

Izuku sighs, still curled up on a beanbag in the mindscape, pressed into Variant's side.

Chance is playing video games with Hitoshi and he doesn't really feel like watching. Variant seems interested though. He's watching them play while idly running a hand through Izuku's curls. It's a nice feeling.

It's weird having gone this long without fronting. Izuku knows that Zawa is worried about him. But Izuku isn't sure he's ready to front again.

Being forced out while in court had been terrifying. It makes him worry about how effective Variant keeping them safe can be if Zawa can cancel him out with erasure at any point.

Technically either Izuku or Chance could front after Variant is shoved back into the mindscape. Chance just isn't as accustomed to taking control without it being completely intentional on all sides. Before Chance came around, it was either Izuku or Variant. So now that there's two of them that could take over, they need to work on who actually does end up fronting in those situations.

Maybe that's something to ask Inui or Zawa about.

"You can ask, but I'm not sure how much help they will be. They seem to like having a way to keep me in check." Variant comments, interrupting his thoughts.

Variant chuckles, "Again, your thoughts are technically all of our thoughts." He reminds Izuku.

---

Eventually, Hitoshi and Chance get tired of playing video games. As such, Hitoshi decided that he wanted a nap.

So now, the body is sitting curled up in the nook while the three alters are all sitting together in the mindscape.

"Now what?" Variant asks the group.

The three look at each other in stumped silence.

"We could play a game?" Izuku suggests.

"Like what? I don't exactly see any decks of cards in here." Variant replies.

"Then we should figure out how to make a deck of cards appear!" Izuku chirps.

Chance looks thoughtful, "Are we sure that's even possible?"

Izuku shrugs, "It's our mindscape. I don't see why we can't make stuff appear in it."

"He has a point Chance." Variant acknowledges.

"Maybe it's a case of all three of us need to wish for it to appear." Chance suggests.

There's a stretched out silence followed by a dim flash of light and something landing on the floor in front of them.

Izuku picks up the newly materialized deck of cards, "It worked! It worked!" he cheers.

Variant looks on with wide eyes, "Would you look at that. It did work."

Chance just stares at it in shock, dead silent.

Variant laughs, "Come on Chance, stop trying to make logical sense of it and come join us on the floor."

Chance huffs but doesn't argue, sliding off the couch and joining the two of them on the floor where Izuku has already pulled out the cards from their box.

"Alright. Who wants to shuffle?" he asks excitedly.

Variant and Chance exchange glances.

Izuku groans, "Neither of you know how to shuffle do you?" he accuses.

The two shake their heads.

"Fine. Then I'll just have to teach you. Mom taught me when we would play Skip-bo together!" he exclaims.

---

Twenty minutes later, Variant is a master at shuffling and Chance has already thrown the cards at Variant.

"Stop sulking Chance." Izuku teases.

"I'm not sulking." Chance denies in a low tone, arms crossed over his chest.

Variant scoffs, "You totally are. You're the brains remember. Coordination isn't meant to be your thing." He reminds Chance, dropping a hand on his shoulder.

"Fine." Chance concedes. "I guess there's logic behind what you say."

"You mean it's 'only logical'." Izuku corrects with his best Aizawa voice.

That gets all three of them laughing.

"Okay okay, what are card game are we going to play then?" Izuku asks, eager to start the game.

"Again, we are the worst people to ask this question." Variant reminds Izuku, "After all, Chance didn't know what Uno is."

"Hey! It's not like you knew what it was either!" Chance defends.

"True, true. Guilty as charged." Variant replies with a smirk.

There's a moment of silence.

"All in favor of looking up card games?" Izuku suggests.

Chance shakes his head, "Do you even have to ask?"

---

After a quick deciding game of rock paper scissors; Chance ended up being the one who had to leave the mindscape in order to look up card games to play.

"So I have a list of options." Chance informs them as he walks through his door and into the mindscape.

He then places a hand written list of card games down in between the three of them.

"And you brought this into the mindscape how...?" Variant inquires.

Chance glares at him, "You're the one who told me to stop trying to make any logical sense out of this place. So why are you now questioning it?"

"You know what, fair." Variant admits.

"But I wanna know how it works!" Izuku exclaims.

"Hush. Not important right now." Chance chides.

Izuku pouts but doesn't argue.

"Shall we start with Go Fish then?" Variant suggests, bringing the discussion back on task.

"Yeah!" Izuku practically yells. He then takes the deck in hand and starts dealing.

Variant and Chance can't help but exchange fond glances.

                                                

---

                                                   

"Have any twos?" Variant asks Izuku.

Izuku shakes his head, "Nope!"

Chance narrows his eyes, "Wanna try that again?" not being about to hear their thoughts doesn't mean they can't tell if the others are lying or not.

Izuku sighs, "Fiiiiiine. Yes I have a two." He finally admits, handing the two over to Variant.

Variant then places at match down in front of him, "I win." He says evenly, smirking.

Izuku gestures dramatically at the matches on the floor while Chance simply facepalms.

---

f both Izuku and Variant are repeatedly flipped and placed on the one remaining pile in between them. Despite Spit being only a two player game, Variant really wanted to try it. So as the least coordinated of the three, Chance now has the pleasure of watching them play.

"How the hell do you to do this so fast!?" he demands.

"It's really not that hard." Izuku replies, not even pausing in his actions.

"I beg to differ." Chance argues.

The two slap their hands down onto the empty space, Izuku's hand just barely managing to slide under Variant's.

"No! Damn it!" Variant shouts.

"Awesome! I win again!" Izuku cheers.

Variant grabs a cushion off the couch and screams into it while Chance pats his back in sympathy. 

                                                                                       

---

Chance doesn't respond as he stares at the cards in front of him.

"It's because he wants to play something he'll actually win." Variant snarks.

"Excuse you, solitaire is a great game." Chance snaps.

"It's also a one player game with zero competition." Variant counters.

Chance glares at him, "That doesn't mean I can't still lose."

Variant groans. "This is boring though!"

Izuku giggles, "Let him have his fun Variant."

There's an easy silence that settles over the room for a few minutes.

"So I have a question." Variant pipes up.

"No, I'm not done yet." Chance deadpans, not looking away from the game.

"Not what I was going to ask, but thanks for the update I guess." Variant replies. "But seriously though. It's one that's been bothering me."

"What is it Variant?" Izuku asks, curious.

"What exactly are our pronouns?" Variant questions.

This has Chance looking up from his game. "What ever we want them to be? Zu? You have a preference?"

Izuku thinks a moment, hand on his chin, "I'm a he/him person myself. What about you Chance?"

"They/them. Referring to us as plural just makes more sense to me." Chance responds.

The two looks at Variant expectantly.

"What? Me? Oh well..." Variant trails off. "I want to say he/him. But like, not all the time? When I'm protecting it fells more like a they/them situation. So it depends I guess."

Izuku nods, "That makes sense. And naturally we would know the difference between those moods."

Variant smiles, "Of course."

                              

---

                                                                     

"I'm all carded out guys." Variant declares.

Chance nods, "Agreed."

Izuku beams, "That was fun! We should play some other games next time too!"

"We could. We'll have to ask Hitoshi for some suggestions though." Variant replies.

"That's a good idea. The internet is sometimes too helpful." Chance agrees.

"It's probably around dinner time by now. Whose turn is it?" Variant asks.

Both Chance and Variant look to Izuku, who shrinks.

"No..." He mumbles near silently.

"Why not? You've been in here for a while Zu. You need to front soon given you're the primary personality." Variant says.

"But I don't want to." Izuku argues.

"Is there a specific reason?" Chance asks.

"I'm...I'm scared." Izuku admits, head down.

Both alters soften at the admission, "It's okay to be scared Izuku. But you can't just hide in here forever." Variant tells him.

"I know that." Izuku says.

"Why don't you go find Sho-san when you front. He always makes us feel better." Chance suggests.

Izuku shakes his head, curling in on himself.

Variant frowns, "Zu...you're not scared of Eraser now are you?" he asks.

Izuku cringes, eyes tearing up. It's answer enough.

"Oh Zu. Why didn't you tell us this was bothering you so much?" Chance asks, moving to sit beside Izuku and put an arm around him. Likewise, Variant takes up his post on the opposite side of Izuku.

"Cause you were all fronting and were fine and I didn't want to ruin it." Izuku tells them.

"That doesn't matter. If something is bothering you, you tell us. How can we help you if we don't know?" Variant questions.

Izuku shrugs but doesn't respond.

"That aside, why are you scared of Sho-san all of a sudden? You love Sho-san." Chance inquires.

"Cause, cause he got rid of Variant. And then it was just me and it wasn't safe and I was so scared. I thought I was gonna die! So what says he isn't just going to do it again!?" Izuku exclaims.

The two nod, "That's fair. But that also sounds like a problem that can be solved with Chance coming out instead of you." Variant observes.

"But how do we do that?" Izuku insists.

"I don't know, but we can try to figure it out. I can't talk to Sho-san about it later tonight, okay?" Chance offers.

Izuku sniffles, but nods. "Sorry." He murmurs.

The two hug him from either side, "There's nothing to be sorry for Zu. Nothing at all."

---

When Izuku opens his eyes, he sways as the world spins around him. Disoriented, he leans back against the pillows and blinks away the spots in his vision.

~And this is why I said you needed to front soon.~ Variant chides.

*How did you even know this was going to happen?* Izuku asks.

~You think I go days without fronting and not have and consequences from that? No. I deal with this all the time. Just take deep breaths and focus on my voice for now. It will pass.~ he instructs.

Variant keeps up a steady stream of grounding nonsense while all of Izuku's faculties straighten themselves out and gradually fall into place.

Finally, Izuku sits up. Damn that sucks.

Variant chuckles, ~You're telling me. Try being ready to fight while that's happening. It's fun.~

<I think your definition of fun is distorted.> Chance comments.

*Oh it definitely is.* Izuku agrees.

~Oi!~

Giggling at Variant, Izuku slowly climbs to his feet. Now that he's adjusted, Izuku can smell food coming from the kitchen.

As he reaches the door, Izuku hears a startled yelp then what sounds like someone hitting the floor. Confused, he opens the door and looks down, nearly tripping on his brother how is lying face down on the carpet.

"Um...Toshi? You good?" Izuku asks.

Hitoshi mumbles something unintelligible.

"I have no idea what you just said." Izuku replies.

Hitoshi turns his head to the side, "I just tripped over a nonexistent cat." He informs.

"Nonexistent how?"

"One, it disappeared the moment my foot touched it. Two, none of our cats are grey." Hitoshi explains.

Izuku hums, "That's odd. Really odd."

Hitoshi nods.

Then, Fanta comes wandering around the corner and makes a beeline for Hitoshi.

Hitoshi stiffens, "No, please no." He pleads.

His pleas go ignored as all twenty pounds of calico plops herself right onto Hitoshi's back, polydactyl paws resting between the purple haired teen's shoulder blades.

"Izu. Help." Hitoshi groans.

Izuku giggles, "Sorry Hitoshi, you know the rules."

"Traitor." Hitoshi grumbles.

Still smiling, Izuku makes his way past his doomed brother and over to the family room. Once there he finds Zawa sitting on the couch, looking at something on his phone.

Mind made up, Izuku near silently makes his way over to Zawa and promptly crawls into his lap, face buried in the man's collarbone.

Zawa, for his part, lets out a breath at the sudden burden, then wraps an arm around Izuku.

"Hey kiddo. Good to see you." He says softly.

"Hi dad." Izuku replies back, words muffled by the fabric of Zawa's long sleeve shirt.

Shouta sets his phone aside and puts his other arm around him, "Feeling okay?" he asks.

Izuku shrugs, "A little fuzzy and floaty. But I'm okay."

Shouta makes an affirmative sound, one that vibrates in his chest, "That's good. I was worried about you."

Izuku frowns, for all that it goes unseen, "Sorry Zawa." He apologizes.

Shouta shakes his head, "Nothing to be sorry for. I'm just glad you're alright." He says, "What have you been doing all this time?"

Izuku mumbles something Shouta doesn't quite catch, "What was that?" he asks, tone light with amusement.

"Hiding in the mindscape." Izuku admits.

Shouta chuckles, "I see. Well I hope the others were keeping you company."

Izuku sits up, nodding, "Yeah! We even figured out how to play card games earlier!" Izuku exclaims.

"Did you now? That's cool. How'd you figure that one out?" Shouta asks.

Izuku then proceeds to go off on a rambling tangent about how they made the cards appear and then what happened during all of their various card games. Shouta listens intently, happy to have Izuku back after so long.

---

Shouta is still listening to Izuku ramble when Naomasa calls them for dinner. 

Hitoshi appears from the hallway, Fanta following on his heels, and makes his way into the dining room. Izuku on the other hand, makes no move to get up off of Shouta.

Shouta pays it no mind, simply lifting the kid up as he stands and starts walking towards the dining room.

Naomasa is in the process of putting food on the table when the two arrive.

It takes Shouta a few tries to get Izuku off of him so the kid will sit in his own chair.

"Come on Problem Child, you have to sit in your own chair if we're going to eat." Shouta tries reasoning.

"Noooooo." Izuku whines.

"Yes." Shouta deadpans back.

"Come on Izu, let the poor man breathe. You can koala after dinner." Hitoshi cuts in.

"But Toshi!" Izuku argues.

"No buts Izuku, please sit down." Naomasa cuts in.

Izuku huffs then releases his hold on Shouta. "Fine."

Shouta has to resist sighing in relief. He was genuinely afraid he wasn't going to get to eat dinner. That said, it's good to see Izuku back to his playful self.

---

Izuku pushing his plate away from him makes Shouta realize he spoke too soon.

"Izuku you have to eat. You haven't eaten all day." Shouta tells him.

"It's not my fault Variant didn't eat." Izuku argues.

Shouta manages not to sigh, "No, but that doesn't change the fact that you need to eat. Please kid."

Izuku doesn't respond at first in favor of death glaring the food in front of him. It's pasta, nothing terribly complicated. Still, Izuku sits there for most of dinner without having taken a bite.

Eventually though, the kid gives in, whether it be because of guilt or hunger Shouta really doesn't know.    

---

 

That night, Izuku refused to go to bed. No matter what Shouta tried, his reasoning fell on deaf ears.

Which leads him to now; sitting on the couch while having a stare down with his son who sits cross legged on the family room floor.

Shouta knows that it's only a matter of Izuku’s meds kicking in before the kid ends up falling asleep anyway. So for now it's just a waiting game.

It is a gradual process, much like watching a kitten fall asleep. Izuku sways and slumps in posture and his eyelids flutter and droop. It was adorable and honestly expected.

What Shouta hadn’t expected as the inevitable grew closer, was for Izuku to work himself up into what Shouta recognizes as a panic attack.

Shouta is off the couch in an instant as Izuku’s breathing reaches a dangerous speed, tears already streaming down his face.

Dropping to sit beside him, Shouta carefully pulls his son into his lap while trying to talk Izuku down.

“You’re okay, you’re safe Izuku.” Shouta settles Izuku’s hand on his chest, exaggerating his breathing for him to try and follow.

“I need you to breathe for me Problem Child. In, two three four. Out, two three four.”

And on it goes, Shouta never stopping talking as he works to bring Izuku back down from his panicked high.

Eventually Izuku has a death grip on Shouta and stares into his eyes in a way which shows that this is all that’s keeping him grounded.

 

It takes longer than he would like, but eventually Izuku is slumped in Shouta’s hold, grip only having loosed slightly, once again fighting off sleep.

Clearly this is a bigger issue than Shouta had first believed.

“What’s going through that head of yours Izuku? Can you tell me what’s wrong? Why won’t you sleep?” he asks gently.

Izuku whines slightly as he opens his eyes, tear tracks now drying on his cheeks, “Don’t wanna sleep. Don’t wanna have that dream again.” he mumbles.

Ah. The nightmare Izuku had last night, that makes sense.

This could be solved by him sleeping with Izuku tonight, but Shouta unfortunately does have patrol.

A thought occurs to him, “Why don’t you sleep with Nao tonight? I’m sure he can keep you safe while I’m on patrol.”

Izuku sniffles, “ Y-you’re leaving t-tonight.” he whimpers, breathing hitching again.

“Easy, you just calmed down, you don’t need to work yourself up again. Deep breath’s Problem Child.” Shouta cuts in.

Izuku nods jerkily and does as instructed.

“I don’t want you to leave Dad…” Izuku says softly.

“I know Izuku, but I have to go. You can sleep with Nao and the cats tonight. He’ll keep you safe and help save you from the nightmares.” Shouta replies, “I’m sure Nao would love some Izuku cuddles too.” he teases, booping Izuku's nose.

Izuku giggles wetly, “I-I guess. O-okay.” he agrees.

Shouta smiles, relieved. “Great, let's go find him then.”

He then stands with Izuku still in his arms. They make a stop in Izuku’s room to grab his capture scarf, something Izuku always sleeps with.

Scarf acquired, they head to the master bedroom where Naomasa is in bed reading.

"Sho? Zuku? What's wrong buddy?" Naomasa asks, setting his book down.

"Izuku wants to sleep with you tonight, that okay Nao?" Shouta asks despite already knowing the answer.

Naomasa pulls the blankets aside for Shouta to set Izuku down next to him, "Of course. Can I ask why?"

Shouta presses a kiss to Izuku's forehead before laying him down beside Naomasa.

"You gotta keep me safe from the nightmares Masa." Izuku tells him, curling close into his side.

Nao exchanges a look with Shouta, "I can do that. I promise I'll keep you safe." He assures, putting an arm around his son.

Shouta smiles at the scene. "I'm going to go get ready to leave now, okay Izuku? I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay. Bye Dad. Love you." Izuku slurs back.

"Love you too kid. Bye Nao." Shouta replies.

Naomasa smiles, returning the kiss Shouta bends down to give him, "Bye love. Be safe."

---

Shouta is completely exhausted when he gets home. He takes his boots off and makes his way slowly into the apartment.

The apartment is quiet as always, minus Loud Cloud and his obnoxious greeting that is. This time, Penguin is nowhere to be seen, so Shouta hopes that means nothing happened on a scale that Nao has a reason to get out of bed. That or something did happen and Izuku didn't tell anyone.

"Izuku is fine. You worry too much." A voice chides.

Shouta doesn't jump, but it's a near thing. His attention is drawn straight to the couch where he is greeted by Hitoshi sitting there, phone screen lighting up his face, staring at him.

What the hell is this kid doing up.

"I'm usually up at this time a night. You just don't go on patrol much to have a reason to also be awake at this tine." Hitoshi answers his thoughts, "It's funny, I didn't take you for much of a mumbler when you're tired. Izu used to mumble all the time, at inhuman speeds too. Though I suppose you wouldn't know, given he seems to have broken that habit when Variant came around."

Shouta sighs, "I was pretty bad when I was younger. That said, I managed to break that habit by the time I graduated and started actual hero work."

Hitoshi nods, "Izuku never could, even with all the hate he was getting for it at Aldera. It was just a thing of his. I guess now he has Variant and Chance to talk to in his head instead of all those thoughts spilling out of his mouth. I'd by lying though if I said I didn't kinda miss it."

An interesting thing to learn, Shouta thinks.

"I'm going to go get changed. You staying here?" Shouta asks.

"Yep. I'll be here a while yet. Insomnia is a bitch." Hitoshi replies.

And oh if Shouta can't relate to that hardcore.

---

Sure enough, when Shouta gets back to the family room, this time in a random grey long sleeve and a pair of pink sweatpants, Hitoshi is still sitting on the couch. As Shouta makes his way around to sit beside Hitoshi, he notices that Fanta is sitting on the kid's bent legs. The big cat has her big paws resting on Hitoshi's hip and he head propped up on top of them.

"What are you doing?" Hitoshi all but demands.

Shouta give him a look, "Sitting down." He says evenly.

"Sure, but why? Aren't you going to go to bed?" the kid presses.

Shouta shrugs, "Eventually, but I could ask you the same thing now couldn't I?" he counters.

Hitoshi falters, mouth opening and closing as he flounders for words.

Eventually, the kid just breaks eye contact, looking down at his hands.

And Shouta just waits, not pressing or rushing his son to talk.

"It's weird." Hitoshi says softly.

"What is?" Shouta asks.

"Sleeping on a bed." Hitoshi answers, "It's hard to get used to after it being so long since a last had one to sleep on. The  closest I've gotten in years is a faulty blow up mattress."

"Sounds like the system hasn't changed much since I was in it then." Shouta muses.

Hitoshi's head snaps up to look at him, "What?" he says dumbly.

"I was in the system too when I was your age. Do you really think people reacted well to a quirk like Erasure? In this society that values quirks above all else?" he asks.

Hitoshi shakes his head, "No I guess not. People don't like villainous quirks now do they."

Shouta cringes, an unconscious action that does not go unnoticed by Hitoshi, "There's no such thing as 'villainous quirks' and 'heroic quirks'." He corrects, "They're all just tools. Just like you can use a blade to perform a life saving surgery or to take someones life. It depends on what you do with it."

Hitoshi looks at him in awe, "I wish everyone thought that way." He mutters.

Shouta sighs, and its a world weary sound, "So do I kid, so do I."

There's a brief silence. "My father was an underground hero." Shouta states, "He had an Erasure like quirk as well. He died on a mission when I was eight." He explains, "My mother was devastated, and she couldn't handle how much I reminded her of him. So she gave me up. I didn't get out of the system till Nedzu made me a ward of UA."

"My parents didn't give me up. They were great, at least what I remember of them. I was seven when they didn't come home one night. I was told they died in a villain attack." Hitoshi tells him, "That's part of why I want to become a hero. So I can help prevent that happening to other kids. That and, well, spite."

Shouta chuckles, "Spite is a powerful motivator. As much as I wanted to be like my father. Spite is what got me into UA and into the hero course. The need to prove to everyone the villain kid wasn't what they thought he was."

"You too then." Hitoshi observes.

"Of course. And there's so many others like us." Shouta agrees.

"Izuku used to want to be hero. He was determined to be the first quirkless hero." Hitoshi declares.

"Did he now? I can see it." Shouta replies.

"I think after everything that's happened though, he doesn't want to. And I can't say I blame him really." Hitoshi admits.

Shouta nods, "With the incident on his record, not to mention his DID, it would be extremely difficult to become a hero. Assuming it was allowed at all. It's probably for the best he doesn't pursue that, as much as it hurts to say it."

"He would have been the best. That's how I met him you know? He saved me on my first day of school at Aldera from Bakugo and his cronies." Hitoshi explains.

"That doesn't surprise me at all." Shouta chuckles.

He pauses for a moment, "So I've been thinking." He begins, catching Hitoshi's attention once more, "Now that I'm home. I think it's about time I start teaching you how to use a capture scarf."

Hitoshi's eyes go wide, "Really!?" he exclaims.

Shouta nods, meeting his sons excited eyes, "Absolutely. I always intended to since you said you wanted to be a hero. I just wasn't able to help you out much since I was with Izuku in the hospital." He tells him, "And don't think you're escaping having me train you either. I'm warning you, I'm not as kind as Hizashi. I'll put you through hell."

Hitoshi practically bounces in his seat. "Eraserhead wants to train me?" he questions in disbelief.

"Yes, I do Hitoshi. You're my son. Why wouldn't I help? And besides, you have potential. And I don't just say that about anyone." Shouta replies, amusement in his eyes.

Hitoshi freezes. "Your son..." He says softly. And it hurts Shouta's heart to see such hesitance.

"You're my son too Hitoshi. I know I get caught up with Izuku a lot. And for that I apologize. But you're my son just as much as he is. Just like Izuku is Nao's son." Shouta explains.

Hitoshi shakes his head, "You don't have to apologize. I understand completely on that one. Izuku needs you. I get that." He argues.

Shouta shakes his head, "That doesn't make you any less of a priority. If you don't want to come to me I get that. But you should at least talk to Nao. He's starting to worry about you." He explains.

"Worry about me? Why? Izuku's far worse off than I am right now." Hitoshi questions.

And there in lies the problem. "That doesn't mean you don't still need help yourself, Hitoshi. Have you considered trying therapy? You've been out of the system for a while." Shouta suggests.

"I don't really like the idea of sharing all that with someone I don't even know." Hitoshi replies, looking down.

"And that's fine. Neither me nor Naomasa will make you go until you're ready. Just keep in mind that it's an option." Shouta replies.

Hitoshi nods absently. "I guess... I guess it just doesn't all seem real. Not just that I'm out of the system. But that I'm living with Izuku, and that we have you guys that actually care about us. I'll admit while it was just me and Naomasa it was a bit easier to believe. But now that you and Izu are here, it feels a bit too good to be true. I keep thinking that one day you'll decide to pick between us." He explains, voice barely above a whisper.

"I suppose that makes sense. And I know in this situation my word doesn't amount to much, but I promise you we're not about to just give up on you Hitoshi. You're stuck with all of us now. Whether you like it or not." Shouta tells him.

"I just don't want to bother you guys given everything  you've already got going on." Hitoshi says.

"We want you to bother us kid. We want to help fix things for you just like we do Izuku. I know it's going to take time, but I think you should at least try to open up and see where that gets you. I can definitely say that Naomasa has gotten attached. He loves you kid. And I'm starting to as well, now that I'm getting to know you." Shouta admits.

Hitoshi looks up at him, surprised. "I know you said I'm your son, but I'm not sure I'm ready to call you dad yet." He says.

"And that's fine. Take as long as you need. I'm willing to wait." Shouta replies, "But if you're ready to take that step with Naomasa, please make sure I'm there. I seriously want to see his face." He jokes.

Hitoshi chuckles slightly, "Okay, I'll try. I guess Izuku has already given you the title of 'dad', so I'll have to come up with something else for Naomasa." He muses.

"I'll let you handle that one. I've never been overly good at things like that." Shouta admits.

"You don't strike me as the type that would be." Hitoshi agrees.

Shouta sighs, "And we'll both have to start hanging out more. Naomasa has been on my case about 'bonding' or whatever."

"That sounds like him. And you have to admit that we haven't spent much time together." Hitoshi's eyes glint mischievously, "I say you can start making up for it by training me!"

Shouta shakes his head, a small smile on his face, "Alright brat."

"I may be a brat, but I'm your brat." Hitoshi insists.

"Yes, you are. How could I forget I have two problem children." Shouta answers.

"Is it really just two though? What about Variant and Chance?" Hitoshi questions.

Shouta shakes his head, "No, we are not debating that at this time of the morning."

Hitoshi laughs, and it's music to Shouta's ears.

---

Naomasa stirs at the sound of whimpers.

And sure enough, Izuku is tossing and turning beside him on the bed.

It takes Naomasa a moment to decide on the best way to wake Izuku up. He has to be careful, he doesn't want to scare Izuku.

So Naomasa starts running a hand through Izuku's hair with just enough pressure to be insistent.

"Come on Zuku, you gotta wake up now. You're okay buddy. Come on, wake up." And he continues like that, trying to coax the kid awake as best he can.

Then, toxic green eyes snap open with a gasp. Variant snatches up Naomasa's hand from where it's buried in his curls and looks frantically around the room. Panting, he struggles to sit up.

"Easy Variant. It's just me, Naomasa. You're in the master bedroom with me and its," he looks at the clock, "5:00 am. You were having a nightmare so I decided to wake you up." Naomasa tries to get through to the panicked alter before things escalate.

Variant's grip on his hand loosens gradually as the kid calms his breathing. Eventually, he just flops back down onto the bed.

"Thanks Tsuka." He says breathlessly.

"Any time buddy. I said I'd keep you safe after all." Naomasa replies.

Variant nods, eyes closing as he lets his body relax before going still.

Then emeralds open and turn their focus on Naomasa, "You did it! You saved me!" Izuku exclaims.

He then throws himself on top of the man, wrapping his arms around his neck.

Naomasa lets out an 'oof' at the sudden weight on his chest and stomach before simply draping an arm over Izuku's back.

"Glad I could help Izuku." He murmurs softly.

"Thanks Papa." Izuku replies.

Somehow, Naomasa manages to not choke on his own spit at the name.

How the hell did Shouta manage to stay so calm when Izuku first started calling him 'Dad'?

His husband has an uncanny control over his own emotions.

 

The two lay there for a while, basking in each other's warmth. Izuku is still and Naomasa would have thought him to still be asleep if it weren't for the occasional mumble or mutter.

 

"Izuku, I'm going to presume you don't want to go back to bed?" Naomasa eventually asks.

Izuku vehemently shakes his head, tensing up.

"Okay, okay, that's fine." Naomasa assures, "Then why don't we go and start on some breakfast for everyone? It's about six now."

Izuku lifts his head from where it was buried in Naomasa's chest, "Okay!"

"You gotta get off me then Zuku." Naomasa then reminds him.

"Oh! Right!" Izuku squeaks, scrambling off of his father. So quickly, in fact, that Naomasa has to catch him before he ends up on the floor.

"Easy there. Don't hurt yourself now." He says, setting Izuku down on the floor.

Izuku flushes slightly, nodding.

 

The two quietly make their way out of the bedroom and down the hall. Naomasa is about to turn the family room light on when he spots the lump on the couch.

Walking around so he can see it, Naomasa stifles a laugh at the sight.

Shouta is laid out across the couch with Hitoshi sprawled out on top of him. The two are sound asleep by the looks of it too.

Naomasa definitely takes a few pictures.

Izuku appears at his side, giggling at the other two members of their little family.

"I guess that explains why Shouta never came to bed last night." Naomasa comments.

"Should we let them sleep?" Izuku asks.

Naomasa nods, "We should, they both could use all the sleep they can get."

Izuku giggles again before turning and wandering into the kitchen. "Come on Papa! Let's go make breakfast." Izuku whisper yells.

Naomasa startles, that's going to take some getting used to.

---

Izuku is excited. He's going to help Naomasa cook!

But what should they make?

~Pancakes. You should make pancakes.~ Variant declares.

*Random, but okay.* Izuku responds.

"So what do you want to make?" Naomasa asks.

"Can we make pancakes?" Izuku asks.

Naomasa blinks, "Sure, I happen to know a good pancake recipe."

Izuku cheers.

Smiling, Naomasa gently shushes him, "Try not to wake the other two up, okay?"

Izuku looks down, "R-right. Sorry Papa."

Naomasa ruffles his hair, "It's fine, why don't you help me gather the ingredients now."

"Okay!"

---

"So what are you guys making?"

Izuku startles and drops the spoon he was holding.

Lunging forward, Hitoshi manages to snatch it out of the air before it hits the floor.

"Nice catch Hitoshi." Naomasa praises, "Though I hadn't expected you to be awake this soon."

Hitoshi shrugs, handing the spoon back to Izuku, "You guys were making too much noise."

Naomasa gives a sheepish Izuku an amused look.

<Why am I not surprised that you managed to wake Hitoshi up?> Chance teases.

Izuku pointedly ignores him.

"You gonna help us make pancakes Toshi?" Izuku asks.

"Sure." Hitoshi agrees, "But first I need coffee."

Naomasa laughs, "You are way too much like Shouta. Unfortunately, I forgot to make some."

Hitoshi give him a look of pure horror.  "Naomasa, why?"

He then opens the cupboard above the coffee maker and screams as a blur of grey drops down from inside.

Both Izuku and Naomasa spin in time to see a grey cat bolt out of the kitchen and under the dining room table.

By the time Izuku has reached the table, the cat is gone.

---

"Now we get to actually cook them." Naomasa tells them, carrying the bowl of pancake batter over to the counter beside the stove.

He then pulls out a frying pan and places it on the stove, turning the flame on.

Izuku eyes the fire.

~Poke it.~ Variant suggest.

<Don't you dare. Variant you are a terrible influence.> Chance scolds. 

Hitoshi comes to stand beside Izuku, "I don't know what's going through that head of yours, but arson wasn't on my agenda for today. So don't even think about it."

Izuku looks at him in surprise, "It's not me, tell that to Variant." He whispers back.

"I can trust you two with fire, correct?" Naomasa accuses.

"Of course Papa! I'm not Variant." Izuku insists.

~Oi!~

Hitoshi blanches, then smirks, "Yeah, Papa." He adds, then takes a sip of his coffee.

Naomasa gives them both a deer in the headlights look. "Right."

---

"Izuku..." Hitoshi starts.

"Toshiiiii. Doooon't." Izuku whines.

<Wow.>

~Well played Zu.~

*Shut up you guys!*

The two are currently staring at the pancake stuck to the wall.

Naomasa stands back up from where he was digging in the freezer for some bacon and sausage.

"Oh." He says, staring, "Is that a pancake?" he asks.

"No. It's clearly a wallcake." Hitoshi corrects.

A snort coming from the doorway to the living room startles all of them.

Turning, they all see Shouta leaning against the wall, looking far too amused.

"Daaaad. They're laughing at meeeee." Izuku says to him.

Shouta smiles, "Don't let it get to you." He offers.

"What he means to say is it's fine, because he can't do any better." Naomasa fills in.

"Nao!" Shouta exclaims, voice partially drowned out by their sons' laughter.   

"What?" Naomasa says innocently, "It's true."

Shouta groans, running a hand down his face, "I need coffee before I deal with this shit." He mutters.

"There's a pot made." Hitoshi tells him, pointing to the coffee maker.

"Thank you. At least someone loves me." Shouta replies, making a beeline for it.

"Excuse you." Naomasa counters, "I made the coffee, thank you."

He then takes the spatula and scrapes the pancake off the wall and drops it back into the pan.

                                           

---

"Hitoshi, love, how?" Naomasa questions.

"I have no idea." Hitoshi replies.

Izuku peeks between them, "Toshi, you burnt it!" he chides.

"I know! I wasn't trying to!" he exclaims.

Naomasa takes a knife and cuts the sausage to see if it's at least somewhat edible, "It's frozen."

"What?" Izuku and Hitoshi exclaim at the same time.

"It's burnt on the outside and frozen on the inside." Naomasa explains further, looking just as confused.

"Congratulations Hitoshi, you broke thermodynamics." Shouta teases.

"Hey, it's not like it makes any sense in to begin with!" Hitoshi defends.

There's a scraping noise as Naomasa pokes at the now black bacon, "Hmm, the bacon has become one with the pan as well." Naomasa adds, "Damn, I liked that pan."

Hitoshi puts his face in his hands and utters a drawn out groan.

Izuku laughs at his brother's antics, "Here, you try the pancakes and I'll try the meat." He suggests.

Hitoshi sighs, taking the spatula from Izuku's hand and placing the tongs he was using in them. "Fine."

---

Izuku stares at the perfect pancakes piled on the plate and a smirking Hitoshi. He then cringes at the sound of things hitting a wall.

<Variant, please stop throwing things.> Chance scolds.

~But, but, how!~ Variant exclaims, raging.

*I have no idea* Izuku replies.

"How's the meat coming along Zuku?" Naomasa asks.

Izuku checks them one more time, "I think they're done!" he grins.

Naomasa pokes at them, making his own assessment. "These look pretty perfect." He determines.

"Yay!" Izuku cheers.

~Victory!~

<Nicely done.>

---

Finally they all have settled down at the table.

"Looks good boys." Naomasa comments, settling into his seat.

Shouta nods in agreement, sitting down with his fourth cup of coffee. 

Izuku and Hitoshi settle down beside each other.

"Thanks Papa!" they reply in unison.

Shouta spits out his coffee.

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

This chapter is excessively long. Like over 13k type of long. But I thought I would be cruel to ask you guys what you wanted, then not give it to all of you. Hence the excessive length.
I'm not going to call any of you out on your, frankly genius, ideas. If you were in my discord server however, no one would be safe. It is my earned right to @ people.
Sadly not everything fit, despite me getting through a significant amount of them. But rest assured all of your ideas have been worked into my plot outline, chaotic as it is.

Random thought while I was writing this:
You may have noticed that Izuku doesn't do much unconscious mumbling in this fic. I realized I forgot to point out that this is because he has Variant, and now Chance, to talk to instead.

So what did we think of the chapter? I hope it turned out okay. All of your ideas were a great help, so thanks again!
I'm sure some of you will recognize your own suggestions, I hope I did them justice.

I don't actually have much more to say this time, I've been writing for a while today so I guess I'm all worded out. Sorry about that.

Let me know what you think!

Later,
>---> Arrow

Chapter 18: The Secrets I Hold Dear

Summary:

The secrets I hold dear
they rise up from my fear
Their whispers I can hear
with faces crystal clear
~~
just some mental health stuff really

Notes:

I'm Back!!
It's been a month I know. And for that I apologize.
This chapter did not want to be written. And then finals week happened. Wooo

But I'm back now. And I'm free from college for a month. So we shall see what comes of that in terms of future updates.

For now however, you should read this one!
ENJOY :D

Even though their next session for the week would have been the day after the trial, Inui decided it would be best to cancel that one and just wait. While it's important that Izuku receives support in his mental health, it's also crucial to remember that Izuku's system is meant to support itself. Pushing too hard too fast will only lead to them shutting Inui out. And he's only just managed to gain all three of their trusts.

So for the time being he was content to just give them time to come to terms with things on their own first.

That is until Aizawa had called him on Sunday morning reporting that Izuku has been having nightmares the past couple of nights and it's becoming a problem. Thus Inui agreed to come pay them a visit that afternoon.

Which of course has led to the current conversation.

"I don't know what more you want from me Hound Dog. I told you I wasn't going to kill him. Or anyone else for that matter. That's good isn't it?" Variant questions.

Inui nods, suppressing a sigh, "Yes, it is. But you can't just go and attack people either, Variant." He tries reasoning.

"But why not? Bakugo proved me, he went and picked a fight, as usual. So I don't see why I can't defend myself if someone comes after me first. I've told you before, I'm not going to just let people hurt us. Not anymore." Variant argues.

"I understand that, but does that rule just apply to Bakugo or are you going to physically lash out whenever anything seems threatening?" Inui then asks.

Variant looks away and doesn't answer.

Inui decides to press further, "That is what happened with Hitoshi the other night wasn't it? You were lashing out when you thought you were in danger and he ended up being hurt."

Variant flinches.

"That's... That's different." He protests weakly.

"Different how?" Inui asks.

"It was Hitoshi I was seeing. He wasn't the threat. It was them." Variant explains.

Inui doesn't need him to clarify who he is referring to.

"I understand that. But had your first reaction to a threat not have been to lash out physically, then Hitoshi may not have been hurt." Inui explains.

Variant looks at him, "You don't know that though. Aren't you the one always telling us not to worry about the 'what ifs'?" he counters.

"That's true, however in this situation we are trying to learn from past mistakes, not seek out threats and problems that don't exist." Inui clarifies.

"Right, sure, whatever." Variant replies, not sounding convinced.

Inui isn't going to push on that front. However there is something he was told happened that has to be addressed. "I was also informed you had taken a pair of scissors from the first aid kit and they were used as a weapon."

Variant gives him a hard look, "Yeah. And?"

"Why? Why did you feel that was necessary?" he asks.

"For one, that was Chance to took them, not me." Variant tells him, "And I don't really have a definite answer to that one. Something just felt off, we were tired and still worked up and anxious. We knew something was going to happen. So we had to be prepared. Which meant having something to defend ourselves with." He tries explaining.

"Do you feel safe here Variant?" Inui then asks.

"Yes! Or well, sort of? I mean, not always. It doesn't matter where we are, there's always that underlying feeling of danger. And if something happened here then that means it would be up to us to protect ourselves, because obviously the measures taken weren't enough." Variant answers.

Sounds like there's still some paranoia going on. Inui may need to consider adjusting that medication.

"I see, so you always feel in danger to some degree." Inui responds.

"I mean, shouldn't we? We're never completely safe are we? That doesn't happen." Variant argues.

Inui thinks a moment. He can acknowledge the logic behind that argument.

"There's always a chance of something happening Variant, that's true. But you need to learn to accept how low those chances are for certain things. You need to learn to let yourself feel safe. That doesn't mean letting your guard down completely, but enough that you can function past being on the defensive all the time. It's not healthy to constantly be focused on next danger, the next problem. It's going to run you ragged." Inui tells him.

"But...But that's my job Hound Dog. It's my role and reason for existing, to always be on the look out for danger. You can't just tell me not to! You're wasting your breath on that one." Variant protests. "I'd understand having this conversation with Izuku, honestly I think you should. But me? I'm not capable of feeling completely safe."

And therein lies the problem. These alters are created to perform a function, regardless of it is necessary to be considered stable mental health. He's right, Inui can't just tell him not to perform his assigned role within the system.

"You make a fair point. I will discuss this with Izuku when the opportunity arises." Inui relets, "But Variant. I ask that even if you're always on edge, always on the look out, try not to make Izuku feel like he needs to be as well. Like you said, it's your role. Don't let Izuku try and take on some of that himself. You're there for a reason after all. Does that make sense?" Inui asks.

Variant thinks a moment, "It does, and I think you are right. It's my job to look for danger, Izuku doesn't need to always be worrying about that." He pauses, "I'll talk to Izuku. Thanks, Inui-san."

 

"It's my pleasure." Inui responds, "Now before we finish up here, I want to talk about these nightmares you have been having." He informs.

Variant's face immediately hardens to liken stone.

"I don't need all the details, I just need to know enough to be able to potentially help you." Inui explains "Can you at least tell me vaguely what they are about."

Variant sighs. "Fine, however I'm not the best one to explain those kinds of things." He tells him. Then his eyes close.

"You wanted to know about the nightmares Inui-san?" Chance asks after getting his bearings.

"I do. I don't need all the details, just a rough summary." Inui replies.

Chance nods, "Okay. The first nightmare we were back at Aldera, back with Bakugo and all of our other tormentors. Except things were so much worse than they had been before, if you can believe that."

Inui finds he can, but very much doesn't want to.

"This time we tried fighting back. And it did little to help. If anything it made the whole experience worse. Eventually we woke up screaming." Chance continues, "I think Hitoshi was on his way out of the room to get Sho-san because when we sat up and looked around the room. He was standing near the ladder of our bunk bed. Except we weren't seeing Hitoshi, we were still seeing the ghosts of our past. So, Variant lashed out at him. The rest I'm sure Sho-san has told you." He finishes.

Inui nods, "You're correct, he did inform me. His main concern was you three acquiring something to be used as a weapon however."

Chance looks down at his hands, "That... That was my fault." He admits. "I was the one who went into the first aid kit the night before to get the bandages to be put on. I saw it there and couldn't help myself. Something felt off and I wanted us to have something to defend ourselves with."

There it is again, the need to defend themselves.

"I'll ask you what I asked Variant then, do you feel safe here?" Inui asks.

"Yes, I do. Logically I know we are safe. But there's always that part of me that fears the worst and I can't help but listen to it." Chance explains.

Definitely going to need an adjustment to the anxiety meds then. That's fine, he was at the starting dose to begin with. It's no surprise they aren't working quite well enough.

"Recognizing that you are safe is a good start. You three have grown accustomed to always being in danger in one way or another. It's going to take time to adjust to not always needing to be on the defensive. And that's fine." Inui tells him.

Chance nods, "I appreciate your patience with us. We all do."

Inui smiles, "It's my job to support you. And that means giving you time to adjust and come to terms with everything. You don't need to thank me."

"Still. It needed to be said.

---

 

"So Izuku, how are you holding up?" Inui asks to start off.

Izuku thinks a moment, "I'm okay now. Though what happened at the court house really scared me." He admits.

"And that's understandable, facing down one of your main abusers isn't something to be taken lightly." Inui replies.

"Variant had it handled though. Variant and the Fourth did." Izuku tells him.

"The Fourth?" Inui inquires. Had another alter formed?

"There's now a fourth door in the mindscape. We haven't met them yet however." Izuku explains.

Inui nods, "I see. So they were on the defensive as well?"

"Yep. At least we think so. Variant was the one who was staring down Bakugo. We think it was them who lunged at Bakugo though. We're not really sure since it happened so fast. That and Variant would have done the same regardless." Izuku continues, "But then Dad activated his quirk and I was pulled out." He says, voice getting quieter at the end. "It was really scary. I thought I was gonna die."

"That's understandable. But you need to remember that there were lots of people there that would never let anything happen to you. Your parents first and foremost."

Izuku nods, "I know that. I just don't like that I'm the one that always gets pulled out when Variant is shoved back in, you know? I wish it was Chance instead." He tells him. "Which is something we wanted to talk to you and Dad about. If that's okay?"

Interesting, "Sure. Do you want me to go get Aizawa then?" Inui offers.

Izuku nods eagerly, "Please."

---

"What's up Izuku? Everything okay?" Zawa asks the moment he arrives in the room.

~Why does he immediately assume there's a problem when his presence is requested?~ Variant grumbles.

<Maybe that's because usually there is a problem when we need him.> Chance replies.

"I'm okay Dad. We just had something we wanted to talk about with you and Inui." Izuku tells him.

Zawa looks relieved, "Okay, that's good." He replies, taking a seat on the couch beside Izuku.

Inui sits down on the other couch. "So what is it you wanted to discuss?"

<I can do the talking if you want me to Zu.> Chance offers.

*Yes please.* Izuku replies.

"I'm going to let Chance handle explaining that to you." Izuku informs, then he closes his eyes and relinquishes control.

Chance opens his eyes and looks at the two adults. "It's related to what happened at Bakugo's trial." He begins, "When you had to use Erasure, Sho-san, Zu was the one immediately pulled to the front. He didn't take that very well. It took a lot of convincing to remind him that he's still safe and that it was okay for him to leave the mind scape when you finally saw him almost two days later." He begins.

"That makes sense." Inui agrees, "If Variant is meant to be his defense, then knowing that someone can negate that on command and leave him vulnerable would be a cause for concern on his part."

"Right. So that's why we wanted to see about trying to get it to where I'm the one that comes out by default and not Zu. To do that we would need to keep cancelling out Variant to let us try and sort out who gets pulled out first." Chance explains.

"So you want me to keep using Erasure on Variant until you manage to get you to come to the front and not Izuku?" Sho-san asks, "Is Variant okay with this?"

~It's fine, maybe I can learn a thing or two about fighting back.~ Variant answers.

While he agrees with that plan, Chance isn't going to say that out loud, "He says he's fine with it." He settles for telling them instead.

The adults share a long look.

"I don't see the harm in it." Inui finally relents, "So long as Aizawa is also okay with it."

"I think it's fine. Inui just has to be here for when we test it. Just in case something goes wrong with you three."

~I still don't get what Inui could do if we have a problem in here. Like, he's not in the mindscape.~ Variant comments.

*That's true. And he seems to still be learning about our condition to begin with. But I don't see a reason to be arguing at this point. Let the adults think they have some sort of control for now.* Izuku replies.

<I agree with Zu on that one. It's better for us that they don't know how powerless they really are.> Chance agrees.

---

They end up deciding to use the time remaining for this session to work on what Chance had proposed.

It's just the three of them in the dining room. Variant and Shouta are sitting across from each other while Inui sits in the chair between them on the adjacent side.

"Are you ready Variant?" Shouta asks.

Variant scoffs, "Not really. It's not exactly a pleasant experience when you use your quirk on me Eraser."

Shouta frowns, "We don't have to do this you know." He reminds him again.

"I know that. But Chance would kill me if I'm the reason this doesn't get solved and I would much rather keep my existence thanks." Variant replies.

<Damn right I would. We all agreed that this needed done. And since we are here now we are going to do it.> Chance tells him.

Variant's point exactly.

"Alright, if you're sure." Shouta concedes.

Then he activates his quirk.

As soon as the red glow appears in his eyes, Variant lurches as he is inevitably snagged by the same dark red tendril as always. His vision goes white for a moment and then he's sent flying backwards out of his door with enough force to put him on his ass.

He looks up as he hears his purple door slam and the lock slide into place.  To his left, Chance is turning the knob to their blue door with far more force than is usually necessary, only for Izuku's green door to have already opened and shut behind them. A startled yelp heralds Izuku's departure from the mindscape.

Variant sighs. This is going to take a while isn't it?

Well if Chance and Izuku are going to be figuring out their thing, Variant might as well try and figure out what he can on his end.

                                             

---

The testing and experimentation went on for about thirty to forty minutes. The adults tried calling it much sooner, but the boys wouldn't have it. They were determined to get the results they wanted.

Unfortunately, that still didn't end up happening. No matter what they tried or how many times they did the test, Izuku was still the one brought out first every time without fail. Shouta could tell it was frustrating all three of the alters. It was also distressing to Izuku in particular.

What frustrated Shouta was that they refused to consult him and Inui about their approach. Despite numerous attempts at getting them to open up about their struggling they refused to go into detail about what was going on inside the mindscape. It's something of a trend that Shouta has come to realize.

What happens in the mindscape is a closely guarded topic. 

There is one other thing he noticed. He can feel Variant resisting each time he uses his quirk on him. It's hard to explain the feeling of a quirk resisting being erased. It's like a pressure behind Shouta's eyes. And he definitely feels that when holding Variant under the effect of his quirk.

And if anything, it's getting worse every time they repeat the process. Shouta hopes it's just the repetitive use of his quirk that's the cause.

---

After finally admitting defeat, Variant excused them from the room and retreated to their nook. After all that stress and action, combined with having had a therapy session before it all, they need some time to themselves.

So Variant settles himself comfortably within the pile of pillows and backs himself out of the front and into the mindscape.

Walking back through his door, he shuts it gently behind him.

Izuku is sitting on the couch with his knees pulled to his chest. He looks tired, and a bit upset, but nothing too concerning. Chance on the other hand is pacing the floor back and forth, clearly displeased with the results of their efforts.

“Well that was certainly something.” Variant says.

“A complete waste of time is what it was.” Chance answers, sounding pissed.

“Oh don’t be like that.” Variant replies, “It was a learning experience for us.”

“Optimism doesn’t suit you Variant. Please stop." Chance says with a smirk.

Izuku giggles at that and Variant glares halfheartedly at him.

“We at least got faster at switching places.” Izuku points out.

And they have. Before when they would switch the body would be left limp for a moment or two. Now its nearly as fast as when Variant himself takes control. That will prove to be useful surely.

"I will admit that is a positive." Chance agrees.

Variant raises an eyebrow, "Oh, so Izuku is allowed to be optimistic, but I'm not?" He questions.

Chance nods, "Yes, he is."

Variant just gapes at him for a moment, then responds with a resigned, "Fair enough."

"If you're so determined to be positive Variant, why don't you tell us what you managed to get accomplished during that whole mess." Chance suggests.

Variant grins, "I figured out a way to counter Erasure." He declares.

"You what?" Chance asks in disbelief.

"Tell us! Tell us!" Izuku chants, clearly excited.

"Calm down. It's really just a theory given I have no real way to actually carry it out." Variant clarifies, "First, I noticed that each successive time he used Erasure, the tendril that grabbed me was less forceful. Unfortunately, as much as I was able to fight it or prolong the time period before it sent me through me door, I wasn't able to stop it entirely." He continues. "But. I think I know how I could get back to fronting while Erasure is still in effect."

"And how's that?" Chance inquires.

"When the door shuts behind me, it locks me out so I can't go back to fronting. So it would stand to reason that all I need to do is pick the lock on the door." Variant tells them, "But I possess neither lock picks nor the skills and knowledge to use them."

"So really it's nothing that is going to help us now." Chance concludes.

Variant sighs, "No, but it may come in handy in the future. Just because I can't do it in here doesn't mean that I can't work on learning how to pick locks out there when I'm fronting." He reasons.

"Why do I feel like Zawa wouldn't support this newfound interest." Izuku comments.

Variant shrugs, "He probably wouldn't. And it's not like telling him why I want to learn would make it any easier to convince him to let us."

"We could bring it up with Nao-san." Chance suggests, "He may indulge us."

"Or we could ask Stephan!" Izuku chirps, "I bet he'd help us learn."

"You know what he probably would." Chance agrees.

"He definitely would. I'm willing to bet he already knows how to pick a lock. It seems like something that would be within he skillsets." Variant adds.

"I guess we'll just have to ask him next time we see him then." Izuku decides.

 

"We can also try what we did last time with the deck of cards." Chance suggests.

"Right! Maybe it will work again this time." Izuku cheers.

Variant shrugs, "It's worth a shot."

So the three once again focus their thoughts on making lock picks appear.

The sudden thwack that follows causes Izuku to jump a foot in the air, startled.

Variant laughs at him as Izuku covers his face in embarrassment.

"Variant..." Izuku whines in protest.

Shaking his head at the others' antics, Chance makes their way over to the table in the room to inspect the newly manifested object.

And what do you know, lock picks are sitting in the middle of the table in a holding case, slightly jostled by the impact with the table.

"Looks like it worked." Chance tells them, effectively silencing their bickering, "Now we have a set of lock picks that we don't even know how to use."

Variant strides over with Izuku on his heels. He inspects them, "Yep, those are lock picks." He confirms.

"You doubted me?" Chance accuses.

Variant puts his hands up in surrender, "No no, I just wanted to see for myself is all." He defends, chuckling nervously.

Chance laughs at his reaction, "Calm down Variant, I'm not going to bite you. It was just a joke."

Variant gives them an unimpressed look, "Well your joking voice sounds exactly the same as your serious voice. I think I'm justified in my reaction." He argues. "Right Zu?"

Izuku jolts slightly a being addressed, "I guess? I feel like the fact that Chance is one of us would make it pretty obvious they're not any sort of real threat to you. " He reasons.

Variant gives him a betrayed look while Chance just laughs harder.

---

Once Variant has left the room, Shouta stays seated with Inui to discuss any further concerns. Most of them had already been covered when they talked at the start of Inui's visit. This was more a discussion to decide how to move forward.

"I'm going to adjust their anxiety medication to a stronger dose. From my discussions with them there is still a lot of underlying anxiety and paranoia. That script should be ready to pick up by the end of tomorrow." Inui tells him.

Shouta nods, "Okay. That's fine. Anything else?"

"They're still growing accustomed to being safe. So I would suggest you keep doing as you have been and reminding them as much as you can that they are safe here. They need that reassurance, that constant reminder." Inui tells him, "Also, I'm going to prescribe something to hopefully help with the nightmares. It's to be taken before they go to bed with all their other before bed medication. You'll have to let me know if it ends up working or not next time. It may take a week or so to work properly however, so don't be concerned if it doesn't work immediately. That should be ready to be picked up with the other medication I mentioned earlier."

"I understand." Shouta replies. "I also wanted to ask you about potentially scheduling an appointment for Hitoshi. We still need to talk about it with him, but I wanted to make sure that you would be okay with that."

Inui nods, "That's fine. Just let me know what you all decide and I will gladly meet up with him. Given his history it's expected that he would need to see a mental health professional at some point. I'm just glad you two are being proactive about it." Inui tells him, "It there anything else?" he then asks.

Shouta shakes his head. "No, nothing."

"Then that should be everything for now." Inui says, standing, "We can just wait until our Friday session unless anything else major comes up. And as always just give me a call if you have any problems or concerns."

Shouta stands with him and leads him to the door. "Thanks for coming on such short notice Inui. I know it's a Sunday."

"When I told you that you could call me any time I meant it. They're an intensive case and I don't mind being on call all the time. You have to give yourself some credit as well. You and Naomasa have been handling everything that has come up very well."

Shouta sighs, "We've been doing our best. But it's been a lot."

"Understandable. Remember you have other people lined up to help you when you need it. And that includes taking a break." Inui tells him, giving him a pointed look.

Shouta tries his best not to shy away from the man's stares, "We'' keep that in mind. Thank you Inui."

---

Later that night, Shouta and Naomasa lead Hitoshi down the hall and into their shared office.

Hitoshi, for his part, is panicking. Izuku assured him that nothing bad would happen, but Hitoshi isn't sure he can believe him.

What did he do? Or not do? He's struggling to come up with any major incidents that have happened over the past week that could warrant both the adults in the house wanting to sit down and talk with him. Is this it? Did they decide he's not worth keeping anymore? Or that they simply can't keep him? They do have Izuku after all. It would make sense if they want to just focus on taking care of him-

"Hitoshi." A worried stressing of his name pulls Hitoshi from his thoughts.

He refocuses to find Naomasa, to find Papa kneeling in front of him. The expression on his face is one of concern.

"There you are. I was worried we lost you there." Papa says with a small smile. It's the one that always makes Hitoshi feel safe. "You need to breathe buddy. You're not in trouble or anything I promise you. We just wanted to talk to you without Izuku around to give you some privacy, that's all." He explains.

"I-I'm n-not-" Hitoshi struggles to get the words out amidst his panic.

Even so, Papa simply waits patiently for Hitoshi to get his bearings. Just like he always has ever since he first brought Hitoshi home.

"I'm not in trouble." Hitoshi states, defaulting to not-questions due to nerves. People don't like it when he asks questions. It means he's going to use his quirk on them. It gives them a reason to be scared of him (or him a reason to be scared of them).

Papa shakes his head, "No, you're not in trouble at all. You've done nothing wrong. I assure you." He promises, "So how about you sit down in your bean bag chair and we can start talking about what it is we want from you. Okay?" he offers.

Hitoshi nods stiffly, but relaxes slightly when Papa runs his hand through Hitoshi's purple hair a few times. Positive contact is weird. Nice, but weird.

Papa and Shouta roll their desk chairs over from behind their desks so they're sitting directly in front of Hitoshi, which is another thing he is grateful for. They're making sure he doesn't feel like he's being scolded or condemned (he knows what that feels like, to the point where normal conversations with adults still feel wrong).

"Alright then, I'll get straight to the point." Papa begins

"I'll get straight to the point, you're being moved again Shinso-kun. You're parents are gone. They have passed away-"

"We want to see if you'd consider starting therapy with Hound Dog." Papa tells him.

What? Therapy?

"But I'm fine? Nothing's wrong." Hitoshi replies, wincing at the questioning tone in his voice.

Both adults frown. That's not a good sign.

"Hitoshi. It's okay to not be okay you know." Papa tells him.

No, no it isn't. Because if Hitoshi isn't okay then it makes people not want him. Because he's broken.

"We want to help you, but you have to let us help you. And that means letting us know when you're having trouble or the like. We don't want you to pretend nothing is wrong." Shouta continues.

Not pretend? That sounds nice.

"We have no intension of sending you back. You're staying here with us and Izuku. That's all there is to it. Which means you don't have to put on a smiling face for us all the time." Papa explains, "If you don't want to talk for a day, that's fine. If you just want to be alone in your room, that's fine too. Just let us know when you're struggling and we will do what we can to help. We want to help." He stresses.

"You- Are you sure?" Hitoshi asks. He asks because he has to know.

Both adults nod, "We're sure kid." Shouta replies, "You're stuck with us."

Hitoshi nods, processing for a long moment.

"So you're making me go to therapy then? Hitoshi asks.

"No, we're not making you do anything." Shouta denies, "We are giving  you the option to because we think it would be helpful. Forcing you to go won't help anyone."

"Oh." Hitoshi says. "Okay."

"But we do think that seeing Hound Dog would give all of us a better idea of what we're up against here. We want to help, be right now we don't really know how to do that. Seeing a professional would help all of us develop  systems that would work for us." Papa explains.

That makes sense. They do really just want to help don't they? Just like with Izuku, they just want to help Hitoshi too? That's going to take some getting used to.

"Okay. I guess I can try it." Hitoshi eventually agrees.

Papa smiles, "Excellent. And if you decide you don't like it or aren't ready for it, that's fine. We can wait until you are comfortable." He assures.

"Thanks." Hitoshi replies, smiling himself.

"Sure thing kiddo." Shouta says, standing.

"Can- can I-" Hitoshi shakes his head.

"What is it?" Papa asks.

"Can I have a hug?" Hitoshi manages to ask, gain trained on the ground.

He then gasps as he's wrapped up in two sets of arms and pulled close.

Its...warm. Kinda like with Izuku, but a bit different.

Hitoshi thinks he could get used to this.

       

---

With all the heavy topics out of the way, the rest of the day really just consists of hanging out around the house. Hitoshi and Izuku play some more Genshin and Shouta takes a nap on the rug (confirming that there is, in fact, a body print pressed into its fluff).

Dinner rolls around and Izuku insists on helping. Hitoshi barely made it into the kitchen after him before being shooed back out into the living room.

Hitoshi flops down onto the couch in dismay.

"You get used to it kid. Nao is very protective of his kitchen." Shouta assures him, not even looking up from his place faceplanted on the floor.

"Then why is he letting Izu in?" Hitoshi questions.

"Because while he can't bake, Izuku can at least cook." Shouta explains, "Don't worry, you'll get your turn of kicking him out next him he tries to help make breakfast." He assures him.

Hitoshi huffs, "I guess you're right."

---

                                                                                                    

Once dinner is over, they all go though their bedtime routine. As usual Izuku is monitored and guided as he goes though getting ready for bed half conscious now that he's taken his night time meds.

There's the new addition of searching for sharps that is gotten out of the way before both boys are tucked into bed and more or less asleep.

Shouta just hopes he can get a full night's sleep this time.

That said, due to his paranoia, he ends up sleeping in the family room in his sleeping bag. Much to his husband's dismay.

---

---

When Variant wakes up that morning there's a weight on his chest. It wasn't a painful weight, no, it was just heavy enough to be noticeable and push back slightly against the rise and fall of his chest. An uneasy feeling settles over Variant at the realization, thus he opens his eyes to see the culprit.

Slit black pupils and bright green irises meets his own toxic green. Sitting on his chest is a grey furred, green eyed cat.

Variant thinks his reaction was justified.

He screams.

---

Shouta hates mornings. Having to get out of bed is a terrible thing to experience day after day. Which is why there are some moments he doesn't even bother sleeping in his bed. A fact that irks Naomasa to no end.

It was one of those days today (yesterday? This sleep cycle?), where he ended up falling asleep in his sleeping bag on the fluffy rug they have in their family room.

Shouta had been woken up earlier by Naomasa making his way into the kitchen to start breakfast. How his husband is a morning person is something Shouta will never understand.

Given he has nothing specific to do and nowhere special to be, Shouta was content to just listen to the sounds of his husband clattering cooking ware and humming to himself. Shouta thinks Nao has a great singing voice, and he's not the only one. If only the man himself could be convinced.

He was on the verge of dozing again, when a scream echoes through the apartment.

Shouta is on his feet in an instant. He snatches up his capture weapon from beside him and bolts down the hallway, Naomasa hot on his heels.

 

He doesn't knock when before entering their sons' room, instead opting to just barge straight in.

And the sight the greets him is...unexpected.

Sitting in the middle of the open floor is a grey-furred, green-eyed cat. Said cat is currently staring up at Variant where his is clinging to the top of the bunkbed ladder, cowering in what looks like fear of the furry interloper. Hitoshi, for his part, is sitting up in bed looking barely conscious while still somewhere between confused and amused at the current scene before him.

 

"Does someone want to explain what's going on here?" Shouta asks carefully.

"That cat tried to kill me!" Variant declares.

The cat meows at this, sounding indignant.

"Don't you even try to deny it. Why else would you be on my chest, so close to my throat?" Variant demands.

Shouta has to hold back his laughter. A quick glance at Hitoshi and Naomasa tells him he's not the only one.

"Maybe because that's just what cats do?" Hitoshi suggests, "Kind of like how Fanta likes to sleep between by shoulder blades."

"And that could actually kill Hitoshi, given the size of that cat." Naomasa adds, smirking.

Shouta sighs, "This looks like that cat that has kept appearing around the apartment for the past week or two." He points out, crouching down to hold a hand out to the cat.

The cat meanders over that sniffs his hand, before deciding he is worthy of being allowed to pet him.

"Should we give them a name?" Naomasa suggests, attention focused on the cat.

Said cat meows again, looking over at Variant.

"She says her name is Random." Variant informs them.

That...that gives them all pause.

"Variant, cats can't talk..." Hitoshi leads with.

Variant gives him an unimpressed look, "Well apparently this one can!" he replies.

"All we're hearing are meows, Variant. Are you... Are you okay?" Naomasa asks hesitantly.

Which is the absolute worst question to ask Variant of all people in Shouta's opinion.

Variant falters at this, "What? Me? I'm fine! I swear I can hear her talk. You mean you guys seriously can't?" he questions, slightly frantic.

He gets a round of head shakes as his answers.

Variant groans, "I am so not dealing with this."

 

Shouta barely makes it across the room in time to catch the kid as he falls from the ladder. Once they've been steadied on the ground, a dazed Chance meets his eyes.

"Thanks Sho-san. That would have been a terrible way to start fronting. I need to tell Variant to be more careful." they say.

"No problem Chance." Shouta replies, "I might be giving him the same speech as well. That was not at all safe."

Having regained their bearings, Chance stands back and and walks over to the cat.

"Are you quite done terrorizing poor Variant? You know there are better ways to introduce yourself right?" they scold.

The cat glares at them and answers with an unimpressed murrp.

"You're going to have to get along you know. It's my job to see to it that you do." Chance replies.

Random meows again, this time in protest, before disappearing.

The sudden vanishing act startles everyone but Chance it would seem.

"No! Don't-" Chance clutches their head with their hands, listing dangerously to one side.

Shouta steadies him again, but Chance doesn't right themselves this time.

"Look after us would you please Sho-san." they say softly, then their eyes shut and they go limp in Shouta's hold.

At this point both Hitoshi and Naomasa have come to near Chance as well. Shouta exchanges a look with his husband.

"You should lay them down in the nook. That's where they usually stay when no one is fronting." He tells Shouta, "And if it makes you feel better you can sit outside so you're there if anything happens." He offers.

Shouta sighs, lifting up his son into his hold properly, "That's a good idea Nao, I'll do that."

---

Chance arrives in the mindscape to absolute chaos.

They walk through their door just in time to dodge Variant bolting past them and leaping onto the back of the couch. Along the way Variant manages to grab hold of Izuku and drag him to stand between himself and Random.

Meanwhile Random comes to a stop a few feet in front of a terribly confused Izuku and just stares at Variant, completely unrepentant.

Chance groans and runs a hand down their face. "Come on guys, let's talk about this. Please."

"I refuse. Keep that demon away from me Chance!" Variant insists, pressing himself further into the wall, as if there's any further away to get.

"Um...what's going on? Why is there a cat here?" Izuku asks, bewildered and starting to sound panicky.

The cat perks up at that, "My name is Random! It's nice to finally meet you!" she chirps.

Izuku looks cautiously over at Chance before responding. Chance shrugs and nods their assent. The cat seems harmless enough, despite Variant's protests.

"H-hello. I'm Izuku." He replies softly, crouching and holding out his hand to the cat.

Chance holds back a chuckle when Variant makes a strangled noise at the action.

Random purrs in delight as she approaches him, pressing her head into his hand and demanding pets.

Izuku giggles brightly and pets the cat eagerly. Even Variant can't begrudge the cat for making him smile.

 

"So how did you get in here Random?" Izuku asks.

"Oh! The same way all of you do!" She answers, leading them over to the wall that has Variant's and Chance's doors.

And sure enough, directly between the two doors, there is a newly manifested silver colored cat door.

This discovery has Chance relaxing fully. Random is another alter then. They can trust her.

Which means... "Variant, get off the damn couch. She's not going to hurt us if she's another alter." they order.

Variant sighs in defeat before hopping down onto the floor, "Fine." He huffs out, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

The four of them all reconvene in the center of the room.

"So let me get this straight," Variant begins, "The cat that's been appearing and disappearing within the apartment for the past week, is actually a new alter?"

"It would seem that way." Chance responds.

"But that doesn't make any sense." Izuku argues, "Because Random has been appearing when one of us is already fronting." He points out.

"That's because it's my quirk!" Random answers.

They all look down at the cat.

"What? Animals can have quirks too you know." Random reminds them, "And Variant has a quirk, so why can't a different alter have one? Are you bitter you're not the only one anymore Variant?"

"What? No! I'm just confused." Variant denies.

"Does it take much for that to happen?" Random then counters.

"Watch it cat." Variant growls, eyes narrowing.

"Getting back to the topic at hand," Chance steers, "What exactly is your quirk Random?"

"Oh! I can go incorporeal at will, which allows me to enter and exit the mindscape of my own volition. I can also bring things into and out of the mindscape, so long as it's a non living thing and within reason in terms of size." She explains.

"Was that your quirk in action then when we wanted a deck of cards and the lock picks they appeared?" Izuku asks eagerly.

"It was!" Random confirms, sounding just as excited as Izuku.

As Izuku proceeds to launch into a million rapid fire questions, Chance and Variant exchange glances.

Great. There's two of them.

                       

---

                                                      

It's a little under an hour later when Chance decides it's time to front and explain what's going on to the rest of their family.

Isn't that a nice thought, family.

Chance opens their eyes and gives themselves a moment for all their senses to line themselves up. Given the abrupt way they left fronting earlier, it makes sense coming back isn't as smooth as it usually is. As they sits there, Random appears on the floor beside them, then settles into their lap, purring.

Once they can properly function they stand up and Random follows them out of the nook and out the door of their bedroom.

---

Upon entering the family room they find Hitoshi playing Persona 5 with Sho-san watching him. 'Watching' is a loose term, he's really directing Hitoshi on what to do and Hitoshi is very begrudgingly following his instructions.

~This is going to become a very common occurrence isn't it?~ Variant comments.

*Probably. But they do seem to be enjoying themselves.* Izuku agrees. 

Naomasa is sitting off to the side on a different couch reading a book of some kind. Chance isn't really sure what.

No one even looks up when they enter the room, something Chance is secretly grateful for.

~It'd be kind of unnerving to have everyone look at us when we walk in.~

Chance decides to sit down beside Naomasa for now, sitting crosslegged on the couch and watching the game being played on the tv. Random settles on their lap.

It's a nice calm environment for a while, minus the elephant in the room.

 

"So, would you like to properly introduce us Chance?" Sho-san eventually asks.

~Figures he'd ask eventually.~ Variant grumbles.

*He's just worried about us and you know it.* Izuku chides.

Chance sighs, but nods, "Okay Sho-san." He agrees. "This is Random. And she's our newest alter. As you can see, she is a cat. And she can talk to us but no one else it would seem." they explain.

"But how is Random out here if she's an alter?" Hitoshi asks, confused.

"That's a part of her quirk. She can come and go from the mindscape at will, and take things with her as well apparently." Chance answers.

"Well it's nice to meet you Random. Welcome to the family." Nao-san replies easily. "I do have a question though."

"What is it?" Chance prompts.

"Does Random need fed like all the other cats?" he questions.

{Not really. But I wouldn't mind being fed anyway.} Random tells him, looking up.

"She says it's not required, but would be appreciated." Chance answers with a slight smile.

{That's not what I said.} Random protests.

<It's the gist of what you said is it not?> Chance counters.

Random simply gives a disgruntled murrp in response.

"Well now that that's settled, we saved you some breakfast Chance." Sho-san tells him.

Chance's stomach chooses that moment to growl at them and they flush slightly.

The other's laugh. "Sounds like it's a good thing we did too." Hitoshi teases.

He then stands up, "Come on, I'll show you where it is in the fridge and help you heat it up. We're not eating wallcakes for breakfast today." He offers with a smirk, holding out a hand to Chance.

Chance eyes it for a moment, then takes it, letting themselves be dragged into the kitchen by their brother.

                     

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

I'm pretty dang good. Finals week is over, which means the semester is over. And I got As in all my classes. So woooooooo.

Any way. what did we think of Random? We have a cat alter now! It was requested by one of my awesome commenters that I name the cat Random. I ended up liking that name better than the one I had planned and thus your wish has been granted. You're welcome.

I know what you guys are thinking, so I'm going to spell it out. RANDOM IS NOT THE FOURTH DOOR ALTER.
There. That's out of the way.

Funny thing is, three weeks ago I had a plan for this chapter. 4 days ago I redid the entire plan around the few scenes I had written and then added two more. I just really wanted to finish this chapter. I was struggling.

I have good news though! It has been suggested that I do a Christmas Special chapter. And have decided to go through with it. So any ideas or suggestions you guys have I will gladly take in the comments. You all certainly delivered for me last time.

This next chapter will be posted on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve. Why? Because that's the 1 year anniversary of this fic!! YAY!

I don't really have a lot to say this go around so...
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 19: Christmas Time!!

Summary:

My long over due Christmas special. I hope it's worth the wait.

Notes:

HELLO

So much for posting on Chirstmas eve right?
oops?
This also means I missed this fic's one year anniversary. Can you believe it? It's been a full year already. Here's to another one. (I cant hit my exclamation mark key because my cat Muffin is laying on my arm and has her's stretched onto the keyboard. Trust me I want to XD)

This chapter took FOREVER to write. Not to mention I was busy as hell these past few weeks.
I'm currently riding in a car on the way home from the airport, I just spent the past week across the United States from home. A little under two weeks ago I was out of the country visiting family.
The majority of this chapter was written during long car rides and air plane flights.

Even so, it's still my usual standard, so I hope you all had a great holiday and enjoy this long over due chapter.
THANKS GUYS :D

 

Hitoshi and Izuku were sitting on the couch in the family room playing Genshin on their lap tops when Naomasa walked in.

He was carrying a big red 18-gallon bin with a dark green lid. Across one side was a label that read 'Xmas'.

"What's in the bin Papa?" Hitoshi asks, not even looking up from his game.

"This, Hitoshi, is my Christmas collection." Naomasa answers cheerfully, "Well, some of it anyway."

Shouta can be heard groaning loudly in the dining room, followed by a resounding thunk that is probably his forehead meeting the table.

Izuku and Hitoshi glance over in his direction in concern.

Naomasa chuckles, "Sho isn't overly fond of my holiday antics."

"I resigned myself to a festive fate after we moved in together." Shouta deadpans while entering the family room. "Do I need to get the tree down from the high shelf in the laundry room?" he then asks from his place beside Naomasa.

His husband nods, "That would be appreciated. Thanks love." He answers, pecking him on the cheek.

Shouta merely hums in affirmation as he makes his way to the room where the washer and dryer are in. Said room also doubles as a storage space.

From what Hitoshi remembers, the only box that resembles one for a Christmas tree is a long bin that's on a shelf just below the ceiling.

"Doesn't he need a ladder?" Hitoshi asks.

Naomasa shakes his head, "Do you really think Shouta would resort to a ladder given his skill sets?" he says with a smile.

In response, Hitoshi and Izuku quickly get up and rush over to the laundry room. They arrive in time to find Shouta hanging off of the top shelf while crouched on a lower one and gradually maneuvering the bin Hitoshi had been thinking of off of the shelf.

"Don't worry, I made sure the shelves could hold his additional weight when we bought them." Naomasa assures, appearing behind them, "He used to do this in his own apartment as well. And I know those shelves were not meant to support him."

The Christmas tree bin finally slides off the top shelf and into Shouta's grasp. He then smoothly drops from the height, landing in a slight crouch.

He blinks upon noticing them all standing there watching him, then raises an eyebrow.

"I told them you don't believe in using ladders." Naomasa explains, "So they got curious."

Shouta huffs, "It's not a matter of belief. I simply don't need one." He grumbles.

Naomasa smiles fondly, "What ever you say love."

---

Izuku and Hitoshi have been sitting on the couch for the past hour; watching Masa decorate the family room. Hitoshi seems in awe of it all while Izuku himself gets to listen to the commentary going on in his head about every little thing. The alters are just as fascinated with it all as Izuku and Hitoshi.

It was rather fun to watch the family room change from, well, the family room, into something out of a Christmas movie. Both boys offered to help, but Masa politely turned them down saying it was 'his favorite part and he wanted to do it himself'. Which is fine, let him have his fun. He did however occasionally ask for their opinions on placements and if certain things were hung straight since they has a better perspective given they weren't directly in front of it.

Masa takes a moment to look around the room and appreciate his handiwork.

~That's a lot of Christmas.~ Variant comments.

<Isn't that the point?> Chance replies.

~Yeah, I guess. It's just a little overwhelming.> Variant answers.

{I wonder how many of these decorations I can sneak into here for us to use.} Random wonders.

<No. You are not stealing Christmas decorations.> Chance tells her.

{Not stealing, borrowing. He can have them back at the end of Christmas.} Random argues.

<Or we could ask for our own.> Chance suggests.

{That works too I guess.} Random concedes.

"Oh! One last thing!" Masa suddenly exclaims, startling the alters out of their internal debate.

He then hurries out of the room, stepping over Shouta who had long since fallen asleep in his usual spot on the rug. Except this time he is wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket with Christmas penguins on it. According to Masa he had laid claim to it their first Christmas together.

Masa returns a few minutes later carrying a red shopping bag. The boys watch as he puts command hooks on the wall between the doors to the kitchen and dining room. Which he's done, he then pulls what looks like a large sock  out of the bag and hangs it on a hook. The sock is red and has jingle bells on it with the name 'Naomasa' stitched into the top of it.

"What is that?" Hitoshi asks.

"These are Christmas stockings. You get presents inside them on Christmas morning." Masa tells him.

"Weird." Hitoshi replies.

Masa then pulls a blue one out that has penguin on it with 'Shouta' stitched into the top. Followed by this is a dark blue one with snowflakes and 'Hitoshi' stitched into the top.

Hitoshi makes a startled noise from his place beside Izuku.

After that is a glittery green one with 'Izuku' stitched down the length of it. Then Masa reaches in and pulls out a glittery purple one that says 'Variant' and a glittery blue one that says 'Chance'. Finally there is a silver one with a paw print that reads 'Random'.

~He-he got us all stockings. Like, all of us.~ Variant says hesitantly.

{He even got me one! And I'm a cat!} Random cheers.

<That was quite nice of Nao-san.> Chance agrees.

Masa smiles at Izuku's dumbfounded expression, "What? I had to get one for every member of the family. That's how it works." He explains.

Izuku bounds over off the couch and throws himself into his Papa's chest.

"Thank you." He breathes, eyes watery.

"You're most welcome."

---

That weekend has Izuku bouncing around the kitchen eagerly while Hitoshi pulls out the ingredients required for the shortbread cookie recipe Naomasa had handed him.

"We're making cookies? Awesome!" Izuku exclaims as he slides under Hitoshi's arm to read the title of the recipe.

"I think you mean we are making cookies," Hitoshi corrects, gesturing between him and Naomasa, "And you two are watching." He finishes, pointing to Izuku and Shouta.

Izuku viably deflates at that. "But I wanna help." He whines.

"And you will help Izuku." Naomasa tells him, walking back into the kitchen while carrying a stack of cookie tins, "We will make the dough and you and Sho can help us cut out the shapes with cookie cutters and put the sprinkles on."

Izuku cheers while Shouta huffs from his place by the doorway, "I'm not getting a choice in the matter am I?" he asks despite already knowing the answer.

"Nope!" Both Izuku and Hitoshi respond in unison.

Shouta sighs fondly, resigning to his fate, "Alright then. Izuku come sit with me at the counter to give them room to bake." He instructs.

"Okay Dad!" Izuku chirps, bouncing over to the stool next to where Shouta is now sitting.

---

About twenty minutes later, all four of them have balls of cookie dough sitting on the flower dusted counter in front of them. Meanwhile all the cats, including Random, are scattered around the kitchen, waiting for something edible to drop.

"Now then, we need to roll our dough flat so we can then use the cookie cutters." Naomasa explains, "But we only have one rolling pin, so we will need to take turns." He instructs.

The other three follow instructions and flatten out their balls of dough.

"Excellent. Now you take the cookie cutters and try to fit as many onto your slab of dough as you can." Naomasa continues, holding up a cookie cutter and demonstrating putting it down into the dough. "Make sense?" he then asks.

He gets nods all around in answer.

"In that case you can get started then!"

---

"Izuku! Careful with the sprinkles!" Hitoshi shouts.

But it's too late, red green and white sprinkles are now absolutely everywhere, counter, floor and all.

"Oops!" Izuku squeaks.

As soon as the sprinkles hit the floor, all five cats are scrambling to lick the sugary specs up.

"That can't be healthy for them." Hitoshi comments, baffled.

Shouta shrugs, "Happens every year and they're all still alive, so it must not be that bad."

"I'm just happy it saves us having to clean them all up." Naomasa admits.

Izuku on the other hand, is still hiding his face in his hands.

"Izuku..." Shouta begins.

Izuku shakes his head rapidly.

Shouta walks over and crouches in front of his son, "Izuku we're not mad at you. These things happen." He tells him.

Izuku peeks out from behind his hands, "You sure?" he asks softly.

"I'm sure." Shouta promises, "Now since the cats are handling clean up, how about we finish up these cookies so they can get into the oven?"

Izuku lowers his hands, eyes a bit watery but no tears have fallen, "Okay." He agrees.

So the four of them go back to their cookies.

---

"These are so good!" Izuku exclaims around a mouthful of cookie.

Naomasa chuckles, "I'm glad you like them Izuku."

"They are pretty great." Hitoshi admits.

Shouta simply nods in agreement.

"So Shouta, I was thinking we all could decorate the tree tomorrow since you're off of patrol." Naomasa offers.

Shouta thinks a moment, "I don't have any issue with that. I'll just need to move some furniture around so it will fit properly in the family room. I can do that tonight before I head out."

"Sounds good. After we clean up here we can go take care of that." Naomasa replies.

"We can clean up." Hitoshi offers.

"Yeah! Let us clean!" Izuku echoes.

Their dads exchange glances. Shouta just shrugs.

"Alright then. Thanks boys." Naomasa replies.

And with that the two set to cleaning. 

---

"So how do we do this?" Hitoshi asks, staring at the bin filled with synthetic tree branches.

"This doesn't look anything like a tree..." Izuku comments.

Naomasa chuckles, "Not yet it doesn't, no. We have to put it together first." He tells them. "To start we put the pole together." He continues, taking a half of the pole out of the bin and into each hand. He then twists them together.

Naomasa walks over to where Shouta had set up the base of the tree in the corner and slides the pole into its place in the center of the base. There's a piece of cardboard shoved into it beside the pole to keep it from moving around in it's spot.

"After that, we have put the branches on." Naomasa continues, walking back over to them and the bin, "You'll see the by the hook of each branch there's a label with a letter of the alphabet. Each letter corresponds with a row of slots on the pole. You have to find every branch for each row and hook them into the pole." He explains, "Think you two can handle that?" he asks.

The two boys look at him for a long moment before nodding, "I think we can handle that." Hitoshi tells him. Izuku nods vigorously beside him.

                 

---

"We're missing an 'L' branch. Where is it?" Hitoshi wonders aloud.

Izuku shrugs, "I haven't found it. All the branches here have moved on to the 'K' row."

"Well that's not helpful. There's gonna be a gap without a branch now!" Hitoshi exclaims, frustrated.

"Just move on to 'K' for now Hitoshi. You'll probably find the branch you're look for deeper down into the bin." Shouta instructs.

(Spoiler Alert: they found it with the 'J' branches, much to Hitoshi's dismay)

                                                                                                    

"Okay! Now we get to put the top of the tree on." Naomasa tells them after they've used up all of the branches.

"And how do you intend to do that? The pole is pretty tall." Hitoshi points out.

"I got this." Shouta says in answer, "Come 'ere kid." He then says, which is Izuku's only warning before he is lifted up by his armpits and settled on Shouta's shoulders.

It takes a bit to get Izuku settle to where it doesn't feel like he's going to immediately fall when Shouta lets go of him.

"You good up there Izuku?" Shouta asks, only slightly teasing.

"I'm okay!" Izuku replies.

"Good. Nao, hand me the top of the tree." Shouta says to his husband.

Naomasa acquiesces him, looking skeptical as he hands the tree top to Shouta.

"Grab this Izuku. You're going to put it on the top of the pole okay?" Shouta instructs.

"Got it!" Izuku replies, taking hold of the tree top.

It takes a bit of leaning and maneuvering, but they do get it to work.

"Tada!" Izuku chirps, jazz hands and all. 

"Nicely done." Hitoshi tells him.

"Thanks!" Izuku replies. "You can put me down now Dad." He then tells Shouta.

Shouta gives him an affirmative hum before taking hold of him and pulling him up and off of his shoulders. 

Once Izuku is securely on the floor, Shouta takes a second to crack his back, gaining an eye roll from Naomasa.

"And now we let Nao put the lights on the tree." 

                                                   

---

After watching the painstaking process that is threading the lights through each and every branch on the tree, it's time to hang the ornaments on it.

~I want to help hang ornaments!~ Variant declares.

<I would like to as well.> Chance echoes.

{I think I'm a bit too short to put ornaments on the tree. So I'll just watch.} Random laments.

*We can take turns then.* Izuku agrees easily.

 

The hanging of ornaments ended up being veritable chaos as the alters switched in and out to take turns hanging them up.

---

Naomasa was in the middle of wrapping gifts when his phone rang.

He quickly sets down the scissors he was using and pulls his phone out from his pocket. Only to utter a resigned sigh upon reading the caller ID

'Yagi Toshinori'

Naomasa has been dreading his friend's inevitable phone call for a while now. He still needs to get his thoughts in order in regards to what Toshinori said to Izuku.

Setting that aside for now, Naomasa answers the phone.

"Tsukauchi." He says simply

"Hello Naomasa, it's Toshinori. Did I catch you at a bad time? I'm not calling for business." His friends voice greets on the other end of the line.

Naomasa can't help the smile that crosses his face despite everything, "No Toshinori you didn't. I'm at home wrapping gifts right now." He tells him.

"Wonderful. I was calling to see about us meeting up at the usual cafe. It's been a while since we've seen each other and it is the holidays after all. You can bring Shouta of course." Toshinori replies.

Naomasa holds back a sigh. Shouta won't be able to come. Not only because someone has to stay at home with Izuku. Naomasa simply doesn't trust his husband to not commit a homicide at the sight of the number one hero.

"It has been a while hasn't it. I'll admit the recent cases have left me quite busy." Naomasa answers, "That said, things have been clearing up recently, so we can meet for lunch if you would like. I will still have to run it by Shouta as well mind you."

"Yes, I have seen some of the news coverage on the Aldera incidents. To think a quirkless child would be capable of such atrocities, truly tragic." Naomasa grits his teeth but holds his tongue, "How does Friday at 1pm sound? At the usual place of course."

"That should work, I'll ask Shouta about it later and text you in the morning. See you most likely tomorrow, Toshinori." Naomasa replies simply.

"Yes! See you tomorrow my friend." Toshinori replies with. Then the line goes dead.

 

Naomasa takes a deep breath as he sets his phone down.

He thought that, maybe, he could stay friends with Toshinori. That he could move past it. However it turns out simply the sound of his voice is enough of a reminder of what he did.

Don't get him wrong, Naomasa knows Toshinori isn't the entire reason for Izuku's psychotic break. Most of that was Aldera and society as a whole. But now that it's been pointed out, Naomasa can't help but continue to reflect on the other instances where Toshinori has made his quirkest views quite clear.

And to think at the time Naomasa thought nothing of it.

---

It isn't until much later that night that Naomasa gets to discuss the earlier phone call with his husband.

 

"Toshinori called while I was wrapping gifts today." Naomasa tells Shouta.

"Oh? And what did the blond buffoon want this time?" Shouta asks, the ire in his tone apparent.

Shouta is aware of All Might's smaller form of course. Despite the fact that Yagi didn't want his secret shared with someone he didn't know well, Naomasa told him outright that he refuses to lie to his husband. And, unsurprisingly, Yagi didn't have a good enough counter argument.

Shouta himself is not overly found of All Might. The way his role as the Symbol of Peace has effected society is not something Shouta approves of. But even he can admit that Yagi means the best and that he has been an effective crime deterrent.

However recent events surrounding Izuku may have shattered any semblance of respect Shouta had for the man. He and Naomasa have had their perspectives shifted since meeting their son.

 

"He wants to meet up for lunch to celebrate holidays like we usually do. I told him I would have to talk to you first before I could give him an answer." Naomasa tells him.

"I can't guarantee me seeing the man in person won't end with us hiding a body Nao." Shouta tells him.

And Naomasa knows he's sincere. Hell, he feels the same way about his once best friend.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't of the some opinion." Naomasa admits, "However, as much as I would like to just ignore him, I do have to be an adult about the issue and talk to Toshinori about this."

Shouta sighs, "I know that. And I trust you to handle it maturely and rationally. I do not trust myself to do the same, so I will not be going with you." He tells his husband.

"And that's perfectly fine Sho. You can stay here with the kids while I go deal with this." Naomasa assures.

"I know we usually invite him over for Christmas, Nao, but I refuse to let that man anywhere near our son." Shouta adds.

"I wouldn't dream of it Sho." Naomasa promises.

---

A few days later has Naomasa walking into the cafe that serves as his and Toshinori's usual meet up spot. And sure enough, after a quick look around Naomasa finds him sitting at their usual table in the back.

"Naomasa!" Toshinori exclaims upon seeing him, "It's good to see you." He greets.

"Hello Toshinori." Naomasa replies. He's not about to lie to the man and tell him that he is happy to see him.

Naomasa takes his seat across from the blond and picks up the coffee Toshinori ordered him and takes a long sip of it.

"Where's Shouta? Normally he joins us for coffee." Toshinori then asks.

"Shouta is at home with the kids right now. Our one son cannot be left at the house without an adult." Naomasa tells him. And he takes smug satisfaction out of the blond's sputtering at the mention of kids.

"Pardon? Did you say kids?" Toshinori asks, confused.

Naomasa nods, unable to stop the smile that dons his face at the thought of his precious sons, "I did. Shouta and I are currently fostering two boys, although we fully intend to adopt them when the time comes." He explains.

"That's great news! Congratulations." Toshinori says with a smile.

"Thanks. It's been... a lot." Naomasa admits softly.

"Has it? Are they alright?" Toshinori asks, clearly concerned.

"Hitoshi is doing well. Izuku is recovering. Izuku has only been out of the hospital a few weeks now." Naomasa explains, "There's still a lot of adjusting and things we must look out for and handle. But he's getting better."

"The hospital? What for?" Toshinori inquires.

Naomasa takes a deep breath before speaking. "Izuku spent six weeks in Hero's Retreat's psychiatric wing. He had trauma bonded to Shouta so they were both there for that amount of time." He tells him.

Naomasa then looks up and stares into his once friend's eyes, "Which brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about." He begins, voice hardening, "What the hell were you thinking? Telling a quirkless child to 'be realistic' and effectively crushing his dreams, and then leave him on a rooftop? Tell me why Toshinori." Naomasa demands harshly.

Toshinori sputters, caught heavily off guard, "I-I what?"

"Not only that, but you exposed your secret to a child. A secret that in the wrong hands could put you in your grave." Naomasa continues pressing.

"I was only trying to keep the boy safe? It's dangerous to be a pro hero! Without a quirk to defend himself-"

"Bullshit!" Naomasa interjects, unintentionally drawing a few glances from the surrounding customers, "For one, you're the damn Symbol of Peace. It's not your job to 'be realistic'.  It's your job to be an inspiration and a role model." Naomasa practically shouts. And it's rare that he raises his voice, "Besides, Shouta fights quirkless and you don't tell him that he shouldn't be a hero."

"That's different, he at least has a quirk to fall back on." Toshinori tries arguing.

"His quirk serves no combat purpose so don't even start." Naomasa denies.

Toshinori sighs, "I admit I messed up, I could have at least been gentler about it. I just hope he found a new path to walk in spite of that." He says, sounding defeated.

And that, that pisses Naomasa off.

"The Aldera shooting and its related cases." He starts, immediately gaining the blond's attention, "The shooter and victim of that school's crimes was the very same quirkless boy you left on that roof top."

Toshinori pales as a look of horror settles on his face.

"That child suffered a violent psychotic break and killed eleven people as a result. And had it not been for my husband, Izuku's life would be over." Naomasa finishes. "You hurt my son Toshinori. And I'm afraid that's not something either me or Shouta are going to forgive any time soon."

Naomasa stands, "We won't out your secret or anything like that. Just know that our friendship is over. You owe Izuku an apology. And until you actually understand what it is you did wrong, I won't let you anywhere near my family." He puts his hat on, "Goodbye Toshinori. Merry Christmas."

And without waiting for a response, Naomasa walks away and out of the cafe.

He is in desperate need of an Izuku hug right now.

---

"Toshi! Toshi wake up!" Izuku exclaims, shaking his brother's shoulder roughly, "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

A long groan is his answer, "Go awaaay Izu. I'm sleeping. Go bother Papa. He's a morning person."

Izuku is not deterred, "But Toshi. It's Christmas!"

Hitoshi's eyes snap open and meet Izuku's. Izuku grins maniacally, and Hitoshi grins back.

Izuku leans back as Hitoshi sits up, "Alright I'm awake. Only because it's Christmas." Hitoshi insists.

"Sure, whatever you say Toshi." Izuku replies.

"I guess we should go wake up Dad and Papa then?" Hitoshi suggests.

The two look at each other for a long moment at the thought of waking up Shouta.

"We're gonna die." Hitoshi declares.

Izuku nods, "Yes, yes we are. But it's Christmas so it's worth it." He reasons.

Hitoshi sighs, "I guess you're right." He agrees easily. "You get to be the one to do it though. It'd go over better that way."

Izuku nods eagerly, "Sure I can wake up Dad."

---

Needless to say, Zawa was not happy about being woken up at 8 o'clock in the morning. In the end it was Masa who shoved him out of bed and onto the floor. It was then a team effort between Hitoshi and Izuku to drag the poor man out into the family room where the tree and presents were waiting. Zawa then, begrudgingly, settled himself in his usual spot on the rug.

Izuku settles beside Hitoshi on the couch near the Christmas tree. Try as he might, he really can't sit still and ends up bouncing lightly in his seat. Hitoshi gives him an exasperated look, but otherwise doesn't say anything about his current lack of control. Izuku can see Hitoshi's own excitement dancing in his eyes.

<I don't know how you have to much energy this early in the morning.> Chance yawns.

~Come on Chance, this is exciting! It's Christmas!~ Variant cheers.

<Not you too.> Chance groans.

Izuku giggles at Chance's annoyance, gaining him a questioning look from Hitoshi.

"Chance isn't a morning person. He's not happy to be awake this early, Christmas or not." Izuku explains.

Hitoshi chuckles, "And let me guess, you and Variant are all filled with energy?" he suggests.

"Yep!" Izuku chirps with a particularly high bounce.

 

"Sit up Zawa, I brought you coffee." Masa orders, heralding his arrival from the kitchen. He then walks over to the pile on the floor that is his husband and gently nudges him with his foot.

Zawa groans as he sits up, and graciously takes the coffee. Hitoshi stares Masa down until the man sighs and relinquishes the other cup that was in his hand.

~I'm trying to decide if that look was a threat, a plea, or some twisted version of puppy-dog eyes.~ Variant muses.

<It was probably a combination of all three.> Chance offers.

~You're probably right. Not all of us can have kitten eyes as effective as Zu's.~ Variant agrees, teasing.

*Hey! I'm not that cute!* Izuku argues.

He can feel the deadpan looks he is receiving from the mindscape.

*Fine.* He huffs, *Maybe I am cute.* Izuku concedes.

 

"You good over there Zuku?" Masa's questioning voice is heard, pulling Izuku from his internal conversation.

"Yep! I'm good!" He chirps, "We were just arguing over if I'm cute or not." Izuku says.

"There's no argument to be had there Izu. You are adorable." Hitoshi tell him.

Izuku squeaks as he covers his face in embarrassment.

"He's right you know. You could weaponize it." Zawa agrees.

Izuku whines and shakes his head, cheeks warming under his hands. "Papa help." He begs.

Masa laughs, "While I do agree with you two, I think you should stop teasing him. We do have presents to open after all." He points out.

Izuku instantly perks up at this, "Presents!" he cheers.

"Yes, Izuku, presents." Masa smiles, "I say we start with the stockings." He offers.

"Okay!" Izuku replies, jumping up and dragging Hitoshi behind him so he will grab his off the wall.

Masa follows behind them to grab his and Zawa's. 

Hitoshi grabs his and brings it over to where they all were sitting.

*We okay if I just grab all of ours now? Then each of us can take turns opening their own gifts?" Izuku offers.

<That sounds great. Go ahead and grab them Zu.> Chance permits.

Having been given the go ahead, Izuku grabs all four remaining stockings and practically skips his way back over to the group.

"Who wants to go first?" Masa asks once they are all settled on the floor.

"I think Izuku should go first. He's clearly the most excited out of all of us." Hitoshi suggests.

"I second that." Zawa agrees.

"Thirded." Masa adds, "Go ahead then Izuku." He urges.

Izuku nods before then turning his attention to the stocking in front of him.

 

There's a couple of wrapped gifts that slide out when he dumps the sock upside down which he quickly sets to tearing open without hesitation.

Inside the three smaller ones he finds a collection of colored gel pens, soft core colored pencils and brush markers. The three bigger square ones turn out to be two excellent quality notebooks and the last is a hero themed adult coloring book.

"Whoa, these are awesome! Thanks!" Izuku gushes, now actually vibrating with excitement.

"You're very welcome Izuku." Masa says to him, Zawa nodding in agreement with a rare smile on his face.

"Now it's your turn Hitoshi!" Izuku insists.

"Alright alright." Hitoshi concedes, "I'll go."

Hitoshi takes his time a bit more than Izuku did with his fervent tearing of paper. Once unwrapped Hitoshi holds a sleep mask that goes over your eyes it's black and fuzzy and designed in the likeness of a cat.

"Nice." Hitoshi says, "Thanks, I'm definitely going to be using this." He admits.

"Trust me, night masks are the best." Zawa tells him.

"Not that he needs them anymore given how tired he usually is." Masa teases, causing the boys to laugh. 

Zawa grumbles a "Shut up Nao," as he tries to tuck his face into the nonexistent capture scarf around his neck. This just elicits more laughs from the group.

Zawa and Masa then open their stockings. Inside theirs are really just candy and a few knick knacks they saw fit to get each other.

~I want to go! Let me open mine!~ Variant exclaims.

<Calm down Variant. We'll get there.> Chance tries.

 

"Variant would like to open his stocking stuff next if that's okay." Izuku speaks up.

Masa smiles at him, "Okay then, Variant to go next."

Variant immediately bounds through his door and out into fronting.

"Awesome! My turn!" he cheers, oddly excited in comparison to his normal demeanor.

Variant picks up his own stocking and dumps it out. From the wrapping alone the gifts look rather similar to what Izuku received. Opposed to Izuku's fervent tearing of paper from an which direction; Variant picks one end and rips the gift open from there

Once unwrapped, Variant has a full set of acrylic paints and various sizes of paint brushes laid out in front of him. Variant seems a bit confused.

"You had mentioned wanting to try painting at some point. So we went ahead and got all the supplies you would need." Eraser explains, "There's canvases for you to paint on wrapped under the Christmas tree as well. Please refrain from graffitiing anything around the house." He then requests with a knowing look.

Variant gasps dramatically at the near call out, "Me? I would never." He counters. 

Eraser simply shakes his head, "I'll believe it when I see it. But do you like them?" he asks after.

"I do! I'm excited to use them!" Variant tells him, "Thank you."

"You're welcome Variant." Tsuka replies, "Do you think you can let Chance open his gift now?" he then asks.

"Sure, yeah, I can do that." Variant agrees. Then he closes his toxic green eyes.

When the eyes open back up they are the teal the denotes Chance is now the one fronting.

"Hello." He greets, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Chance." Nao-san echoes, "Would you like to open your gift now?" he offers.

Chance nods, turning his attention to the stocking sitting in front of him. He pours the gifts out onto the floor and assesses them for a minute before he starts to open them.

Chance takes his time unwrapping them, pulling open each section the tape and then pulling the wrapping paper off in one intact piece.

When he's done, he has a collection of different shaped and sized rubik's cubes. 

"These look like fun." Chance muses, "I can't wait to try them out. Thank you." He says to Sho-san and Masa-san.

"Glad you like them." Masa-san replies with a kind smile.

"Now we move on to the tree?" Hitoshi asks.

"Yep! Let's go Toshi!" Izuku chirping startles him as he is grabbed firmly by the arm and dragged to his feet and off to the tree.

Zawa and Masa follow behind them as they cross the family room to get over to the tree.

Once everyone is situated at the couch nearest the tree, Masa starts handing out gifts. He hands one to Hitoshi and one to Izuku. Then he hands one to Zawa along with a peck on the cheek.

"Those gifts are from me. I hope you like them." He says, prompting them to open them.

With that everyone sets to opening their gifts.

Hitoshi opens his to find folded dark purple fabric. Upon unfolding it he discovers it's a dark purple zip up hoodie with cat ears on the hood and paw prints on the pockets. On the back there is a graphic of a tail.

"I love it." Hitoshi declares, immediately unzipping it and putting it on.

Izuku's gift is actually quite large. The first thing he does is check the label. He is pleasantly surprised to find that the gift is in fact addressed to all four of them. So he unwraps it with as much vigor as every other gift, though it takes a bit maneuvering given the size of the gift.

He gets more excited as he unwraps it further and further. In front of him sits a nest bed that's looks to be the perfect size to fit in his nook.

~Epic!~

<Looks comfortable.>

{I can't wait to sleep on it!}

After a few test squishes they all decide it's acceptable.

Masa lets out an oof as he is tackled into a hug by both Izuku and Random. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Izuku exclaims.

Masa laughs as he wraps his arms around his son. "You're most welcome buddy."

 

Next up was Zawa to give gifts to everyone. He silently goes around and hands his gifts to the others before slumping back down to his former place on the floor with a grumbled "Enjoy."

Izuku opens his first this time, tearing open the paper. Once it's open he stares at the bundle of green he's now holding. He looks at his dad in confusion.

"You have to unroll it Problem Child." Zawa tells him with a smirk.

Turning his attention back to the bundle he follows instructions. Upon doing so he realizes what it is.

~A sleeping bag. Nice.~

<He got us our own sleeping bag.>

{More soft things!}

Now it's Zawa's turn to be tackled into a hug. Unlike Masa he doesn't fall backwards. "Glad you like it Izuku. Now we can take naps on the floor together."

Hitoshi laughs while Masa gives Zawa an unimpressed look.

Next is Hitoshi's gift to open, and Izuku notices that Zawa looks particularly attentive to this one. It makes Izuku wonder what is actually inside it.

"You're kidding." Hitoshi breathes.

Zawa shakes his head, "Not on your life."

Hitoshi pulls out a familiar looking scarf and Izuku can't help but smile with them. "You got me a capture scarf." Hitoshi says in awe.

"I did tell you we would be starting to train with it soon didn't it?" Zawa replies.

"I suppose you did. Thanks Dad." Hitoshi replies, hugging Zawa.

A breathless grunt is the only indication that Shouta noticed what Hitoshi called him.

 

"Mine next! Mine next!" Izuku exclaims, bouncing excitedly, "You gotta open mine next Toshi!" he insists.

He then proceeds to start shoving a box across the floor in Hitoshi's direction.

Hitoshi sighs fondly as the box reaches its final destination at his feet.

"Okay Izu, I'll open it." Hitoshi assures him, "But then you get to open mine." He declares.

Izuku nods emphatically from where he sits on the floor in front of the box.

And so Hitoshi sets himself to opening the box. Once it's open he finds a pastel purple stuffed animal. Upon further inspection he discovers it's a cat.

"You got me a cat plushy?" Hitoshi questions, pulling it fully out of the box and onto his lap.

"I did!" Izuku chirps, "I've been thinking that you need more stuffed animals Hitoshi. You don't have any!"

"You have a point." He says after a moment of deliberation, "This is awesome." He agrees.

Shouta leans over to whisper in Naomasa's ear, "Don't let Hizashi hear him say that. We'll be over run within a week or two."

Naomasa chuckles, nodding in agreement.

"So you like it then?" he asks, just to be sure.

Hitoshi nods, "I do. Thanks Izu." He replies.

Izuku then proceeds to tackle Hitoshi into a hug, effectively knocking the wind out of his brother.

"Okay okay," Hitoshi starts, breathless, "Now you have to open mine." He instructs.

Izuku quickly clamors off of him and lets Hitoshi fetch his gift for him.

Once it's settled rather heavily in his lap, Izuku wastes no time tearing open the wrapped present and pulling open the tape on the box.

Inside he finds a tie-dye green blanket. It's only upon pulling it fully out of the box that he realizes what it is.

"You got me a weighted blanket?" Izuku asks in awe.

"I did. Since you're always talking about how much you liked the one they let you use at the hospital." Hitoshi explains. "Try it out. Hopefully it's just as awesome.

This of course prompts an impromptu test out session. Izuku settles himself fully on the couch and stretches the blanket fully across his lap and legs.

A pause, "Yep, it passes." Izuku declares assuredly, "But the color makes it even better than the one at the hospital by far." He then adds.

"Glad you like it Izu." Hitoshi replies, sounding relieved.

"Thanks Toshi!" Izuku exclaims, tackling his brother into a hug once more. 

                                           

---

After that they took a break for breakfast. Naomasa had made up a french toast casserole and a cheesy hash brown casserole so they all enjoyed eating that at he dining room table.

"Alright boys Sho and I have one more gift for the both of you. And you have to open them at the same time." Masa tells them, placing a decorative envelope in front of each of them. He then joins Zawa where he is sitting in front of the two boys.

Izuku looks to Hitoshi who sits to his right. "Ready?" he asks, eyes sparkling in anticipation.

Hitoshi nods, "As I'll ever be." He tells him.

So the two set to opening their envelopes and pull a piece a paper out of them.

~No way.~

<Is that what I think it is?>

{What is it, what is it?}

*It's-*

"Are these adoption certificates?" Hitoshi asks softly, almost in disbelief.

Meanwhile Izuku is still speechless, minus the chaos that is the alters' internal dialogue raging on in his head.

The typed name 'Aitsuchi Izuku' stare menacingly back at him.

"They are." Zawa confirms.

"For us?" Hitoshi follows with.

Masa smiles, "For you. We want to adopt you boys, if you'll let us." He tells them.

Izuku can't help the tears that fill his eyes at the declaration.

"Us? Are you really sure about this?" Hitoshi asks, sounding skeptical. He sounds aggressive but Izuku knows he's just on the defensive. This is a first for Hitoshi after all. And after everything that he has been through, Izuku can't really fault him for wanting to ensure that this is actually real.

Zawa chuckles, "We're sure Hitoshi. And we'll say it as many times as it takes to convince you. I know it took me a while to believe it when I was handed the same document."

Hitoshi stares at the two men long and hard. Zawa and Masa meet his gaze unflinchingly. Finally, Hitoshi gives in.

"Okay. I'd like that very much." He says sincerely.

 

It's Zawa that first meets Izuku's eyes. Izuku meets his evenly, still in shock.

"You're sure Zawa? You're not going to give up on us?" he asks softly.

Zawa shakes his head, "I think it's a bit too late to bail now Izuku." He says, "That said, no, I'm not giving up on any of you. The paper may say Izuku on it but we want all of you to join our family." He tells him.

~Are we sure we can trust him. There's no going back after this.~

<It's Sho-san. We've trusted him since say one. Even if you didn't particularly like him at the beginning Variant.>

*I want to trust him. I want this. And I think I speak for all of us when I say that.*

With all of their minds made up, Izuku rises from his seat and bounds over to Zawa. Hitoshi seems to get the aim and makes his own way to Naomasa

They throws themselves into the two adults, their heroes, their dads, just like so many times before. But this time, it feels different. None of them could tell you why or how, but it does. It feels somehow even better.

It feels complete. 

---

Of course it wasn't going to be just the four of them all day. They had invited Stephan, Inui, Nedzu, even Hawks and Sansa, to come over later that afternoon and for dinner. As such Naomasa was busy in the kitchen making dinner.

Izuku had let Chance take over fronting and he spent a good hour keeping himself busy rearranging the nook with the new nest bed that they had been given by Naomasa.

Currently however Shouta was giving Hitoshi instruction on the basics of how to use the capture weapon in the family room. Yes, inside the apartment, even despite Naomasa's protests.

Variant was currently watching them go over things, mentally taking note of everything that was said and demonstrated.

 

*You know if you just asked Zawa would probably show you too. We do have his old capture weapon in our room after all.* Izuku points out after a while.

<I agree. He probably would. Even if just for today because it's Christmas.> Chance agrees.

~Sure but what happens when we actually pose a threat when using it? Will they take it away from us like every other potential weapon?~ Variant questions, ~That's a risk I'm not willing to take.~ he tells them.

Chance hums, <I guess you do have a point there. That said everything has the potential to be used as a weapon if utilized correctly.> he points out.

*You're both right. But that's not something that needs to be brought up to anyone.* Izuku says, *Like Variant said, they don't want us armed in any way or to have the potential to harm anyone. As impossible a feat that may be.*

{Do we really need to be talking about weaponry on Christmas?} Random questions. She's busy trying to catch the various loops and ends of Hitoshi's capture weapon as they fly this way and that, much to the exasperation of everyone else involved.

~It's never a bad time to be prepared Random.~ Variant argues.

{I know I know, but it's Christmas Variant. Loosen up a bit would you?} Random argues.

~It's my job to be on edge. Leave me alone cat.~ Variant snaps.

<Enough you two. Please stop would you.> Chance interrupts.

Variant huffs, ~Random started it.~ he mutters.

<And I'm ending it. So stop. Go back to watching Sho-san and Hitoshi.> Chance orders.

                                                     

---

A knock on the door followed by a ring of the door bell startles them all from what they were doing.

"Can someone get the door?" Naomasa calls out, "I'm a bit occupied at the moment."

~You get it Izuku.~ Variant says, relinquishing control to the other.

It takes a second to get his bearings before he is bounding excitedly over to the door.

There's another knock just before he manages to pull it open.

"Hey fledgling!" a familiar voice greets.

"Hawks!" Izuku practically squeals, tackling the winged hero into a hug.

Hawks chuckles as he stumbles back a step, still managing to keep hold of both Izuku and the gifts he brought. "It's good to see you too Izuku." He says, "How about you let me in the door though?" he then implores.

Izuku squeaks as he steps back and away to let Hawks in the door, "Sorry..." He mumbles, looking down.

"Nothing to apologize for, I'm just as excited to see you too. It's been a while!" Hawks replies.

Izuku nods, waiting a few steps back while Hawks takes his shoes off before snatching up the man's hand and all but dragging him into the apartment.

---

"Takami." Aizawa greets him with a head nod when they arrive in the family room. 

"Hey Aizawa!" Keigo replies back. "Where should I put the gifts for the fledglings?" he asks.

He doesn't miss how Izuku seems to perk up at the mention of gifts.

"You can just put them under the tree for now. We plan to open them after dinner." Aizawa tells him.

Keigo nods. He manages to pull his hand from Izuku's grasp in order to walk over to the tree and set the gifts down under it.

He ends up sitting on one of the couches while Izuku sits next to him, talking animately about Keigo's last fight he saw on the news a few days ago. Izuku's brother Hitoshi chimes in occasionally. Keigo is sure to answer all of the questions thrown at him, even if he has to get Izuku to slow down on occasion.

"Hello Takami, Merry Christmas." A new voice says to him from the direction of the kitchen.

He looks over to see Tsukauchi standing in the doorway to the kitchen, wiping his hands on a tea towel.

"Merry Christmas Tsukauchi. Good to see you." Keigo replies.

He's totally not used to the domestic feel this place has. He's not really sure what to do with himself. That said, he intends to enjoy it while he can.

---

Next to arrive is Stephan. And unlike Hawks, when he knocks on the door he doesn't wait for the door to be answered, he just lets himself right in.

"Pardon the intrusion." He says as he walks through the door and into the entry way. In his hand he carries two small wrapped boxes, gifts for Izuku and Hitoshi.

There's a commotion coming from what sounds like the family room so his arrival seems to go mostly unnoticed.

"If you really meant that, you would have waited for one of us to open the door for you." Aizawa's deadpan greets him.

Like Stephan said, mostly unnoticed.

"Awe lighten up Eraser. It's Christmas!" Stephan teases, "And besides, we both know I'm here often enough that I've earned the right to just walk in."

Aizawa gives him an unimpressed look, "If you want Christmas spirit, go talk to my husband." He tells him, "And as for your ability to barge into my house, it's only because Izuku likes you so much. Do keep that in mind."

Stephan nods, slightly unnerved by the look in Aizawa's eyes. Stephan knows the hero isn't about to arrest him, but obviously he doesn't trust him. It's not like he's actually given him a real reason to think he can.

"Oh! Someone's here? Who is it?" Izuku's voice can be heard questioning. The sound of pounding feet heralds his arrival to the front entryway. "Steve!" he shouts excitedly, "You're here!"

And with that Stephan is tackled into a hug by an over excited 14 year old.

Stephan laughs as he wraps his arms around the kid, "Yes, yes, I'm here. I missed you buddy."

Izuku then snatches up his hand and pulls him into the apartment, "You gotta come play Skip-bo with us! Come on!" he insists.

As he is all but dragged down the hall, Aizawa snatches the presents he had been holding on to out of his grasp with a grumbled, "These go under the tree."

Stephan gives him a grateful smile over his shoulder before they round the corner into the family room.

                                                               

---

There's a soft knock on the door some time later.

Actually hearing it this time, Izuku jumps up to go get the door.

<I wonder who it is?> Chance wonders idly as they make their way to the front door.

Izuku opens the door and is greeted with someone he's never met before.

"Hello. You must be Izuku. My name is Tamakawa Sansa, it's nice to meet you. I work with Naomasa at the police station." The cat headed man says in greeting.

~Holy shit.~ Variant says breathlessly, ~It's a cat man. We're gonna die.~

Ignoring that thought, Izuku instead focuses on the person in front of him.

"Nice to meet you Tamakawa-san. Please come in. Papa is in the kitchen." Izuku tells him, stepping aside to let the man into the front entry way.

To Izuku's surprise, Tamakawa-san has presents with him. Are they for Dad and Papa? Or are they for him and Hitoshi like everyone else's?

Who knows.

Izuku turns around and leads the way into the apartment and to the kitchen.

"Papa?" Izuku questions upon entering.

"What's up Izuku?" Masa asks, looking up from the pot on the stove he is stirring.

"Tamakawa-san is here." He informs.

Tamakawa-san chuckles, a slight trilling sound mixed in, "Just call me Sansa, Izuku. I've known your papa here long enough to warrant it."

"Oh. Okay S-Sansa-san." Izuku replies.

Masa smiles and turns the burner down before walking over to them. He also makes sure to puck Penguin off the counter so the stupid cat doesn't fall into a cooking pot again.  "Hello Sansa. It's good to see you, I'm glad you could make it." He says to his friend.

Sansa-san nods and takes Penguin from Naomasa's grasp. "You know I wouldn't miss your Christmas cooking for anything Naomasa. I'm just glad we could still have the dinner with everything that's been going on..."

Izuku decides this isn't his conversation to be a part of so he walks back out of the kitchen and into the family room.

"There you are fledgling." Hawks calls out, "Come on we gotta finish our game!"

Izuku smiles, "I'm coming, I'm coming!" He replies, hurrying over to the group sitting on the floor. 

---

Last to arrive were Hound Dog and Nedzu. Izuku was busy playing Skip-bo with Hitoshi, Hawks and Stephan in the family room while Naomasa and Sansa were cooking in the kitchen. Shouta tries not to be offended that Sansa is the only one allowed to help cook.

The door this time was opened by Aizawa.

"Hello Shouta-kun! Merry Christmas." Nedzu says to him as they make their way into the front entryway.

"Hello Nedzu, Inui." Aizawa greets, as enthusiastic as ever.

"Is everyone else here already?" Inui asks.

Aizawa nods, "They are. Most playing a card game in the family room right now." He tells them, "Nao is busy working on dinner in the kitchen. He won't let any of us anywhere near the kitchen right now. Except for Sansa that is."

Inui huffs a laugh, "Well that's not going to stop me from offering my assistance," He states, "But first, where would you like us to put our gifts?" he asks Aizawa.

"You can put them under the tree in family room." He tells them. Inui nods and makes his way into the family room. Izuku's cheery voice can be heard upon Inui's arrival.

Then Shouta eyes Nedzu, "You only have one box. That's suspicious." He declares.

"Oh Shouta-kun, you know me so well." Nedzu replies, giggling, "Inui-san has offered to get my gift for Izuku out of the car when the time comes to open it. It is a decent size and weight after all." Nedzu explains.

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Aizawa argues.

Nedzu's grin widens, "No, I don't suppose it would." He agrees, smile still in place, "Shall we head to the family room to join the others?" He then suggests.

Aizawa sighs and shrugs, "We shall, continuing to stand here would be illogical." Turning to lead the way.

Nedzu chuckles lightly as he follows behind, "Yes, and we all know how much you love your logic, Shouta-kun." He comments.

This earns him a glare over his former student's shoulder.

---

After many heated rounds of Skip-bo, Naomasa eventually called them all into the dining room for dinner.

Dinner was a rather lively affair. Izuku and Hitoshi managing to carry the various conversation topics that proceeded throughout dinner.

 

Soon enough, everyone is sitting in various spots in the family room, with Izuku and Hitoshi situated beside each other on one of the couches.

"It's present opening time!" Naomasa declares.

This earns him excited cheers from both Izuku and Hitoshi.

Smiling, Naomasa walks over to the tree. "Which ones shall they open first?" he wonders aloud.

"Oooo, mine first!" Hawks calls out.

"Alright then." Naomasa agrees easily. He then pick up the two gifts that are from Hawks and hands them to the two boys.

The boys unwrap them to find jewelry boxes. Upon opening the jewelry boxes, they gasp at what's inside.

Inside the box is a sturdy gold chain with a pendant on the then. The pendant on the end is in fact one of Hawks's smaller feathers.

"I figured if you two keep these close I can keep better track of you. You know, in case you ever need anything." Hawks explains.

Izuku and Hitoshi unravel the chains and put them around each other's necks.

~Sounds like a certain bird is trying to take my job.~ Variant complains.

<Oh hush, he's just trying to help take care of us.> Chance chides.

{Can I play with it? It looks fun!} Random asks, coming up to paw at the necklace from where she sits on Izuku's lap.

"Thanks Hawks! They're awesome!" Izuku chirps while grabbing Random's paw to stop her.

{Awe. You're no fun.}

"Glad you think so fledgling." Hawks replies, "And from now on, just  call me Keigo, okay?" he instructs.

Both boys nod, although looking a bit unsure still.

 

"Mine next!" Stephan then insists.

Once again Hitoshi and Izuku are handed identically wrapped boxes. Once unwrapped they hold sturdy wooden boxes.

Inside the boxes...are butterfly knives, one each.

"They're just practice ones!" Stephan insists before anyone can glare a hole through him.

"You couldn't have come up with anything else?" Naomasa asks, looking nervous.

~Leave it to Stephan to come up with the best gift. I can't wait to try these out.~ Variant exclaims.

<Do you even know how to use them?> Chance asks.

~Izuku has learned a few tricks, which means I know a few tricks.~ Variant informs him. After all, Variant can pull from all their skill sets in the name of keeping them safe.

Then Izuku proceeds to spin the knife skillfully around in his hand a few times. It's clear to the others in the room that this is not the first time he had held a butterfly knife, whether for practice or otherwise is still unknown.

Stephan gives Naomasa a knowing look. Naomasa just slumps his shoulders in defeat. Shouta eyes the knife carefully.

"These are great! Thank you!" Izuku says to him, "Variant thanks you as well." He adds.

And doesn't that send chills through the room for a brief moment.

"Yeah, thanks Stephan." Hitoshi echoes, "You plan on teaching us how to use them?" he then asks.

Stephan looks a bit panicked at the question, but replies none the less, "Of course! If you want me to." He risks a glance at Shouta, "Assuming Eraser is okay with it that is." He adds hastily.

Shouta gives an approving nod, so Stephan is going to assume he gets to keep his limbs today. How generous of him.

 

"I can go next." Inui then offers.

"Okay." Naomasa agrees, moving to grab the gifts Inui brought.

Izuku's box is the smaller of the two. Even still he takes it eagerly and settles it on his lap, waiting for Hitoshi to get his before he opens the gift.

Hitoshi is handed a rather heavy box. In fact the weight is rather familiar feeling.

"Go ahead and open them." Inui prompts.

Not needing any further prompting, the boys set to opening their gifts.

Izuku gets his open first, and is a bit confused by the variously colored pieces of fabric he has received.

He looks to Inui for an explanation.

"Here, let me help you put one on." Inui tells him.

He then helps Izuku slide his arm through one of what turns out to be a sleeve of some sort. It spans from his wrist to just below his shoulder. It's tight, but not enough to be suffocated, just enough to ground him.

"They're compression sleeves." Inui finally explains, "The idea is for you to wear these instead of having to wear the bandages all the time."

Izuku's eyes widen in understanding. "Oh." He says, unsure what to say. "Thank you." He settles for.

Inui seems to recognize the strength of his gratitude despite Izuku struggling to put it into words. "You're most welcome Izuku."

 

<No more bandages! At least not without injuries to cover them.> Chance says.

~We could also cover up the bandages when we do have reason to wear them. So no one can see them.~ Variant muses.

Izu loves them. They're awesome.

  

Next is Hitoshi. He quickly unwraps the present and opens the box.

Inside is a purple plaid blanket. Hitoshi lifts it up and out of the box to find it is, in fact, a weighted blanket. Just like the one he gave Izuku.

"I heard you have insomnia." Inui begins, "And I thought that perhaps this would potentially help you with that."

Hitoshi looks back down at the blanket. His first thought is, 'wow, this is as nice as Izuku claims'. His next thought is how nice it was of Inui-san to get him one.

"Um. Thank you Inui-san." Hitoshi says, finally finding his words.

Once again, the man seems to understand the underlying gratitude. "You're very welcome Hitoshi-kun. I hope it comes in handy." He says with a smile.

 

"Wonderful!" Nedzu chimes in, "Inui do you think you could go and retrieve Izuku-kun's present from the car for me now?" he requests of the hound hero.

Inui huffs a laugh, but nods, "Of course Nedzu. I'll be right back." He tells him, before walking out of the room towards the front door.

Izuku watches after him curiously, before turning his curious glance on Nedzu himself.

"You'll see soon enough Izuku-kun." Nedzu assures him, "However in the mean time, why don't you open your gift from me Hitoshi-kun?" he suggests.

Hitoshi nods, "I guess." He assents, before waiting for Naomasa to place the gift in his lap.

Hitoshi opens it carefully, a bit nervous as to what his sensei could have possibly gotten him for Christmas.

He finishes removing the paper to find himself holding a black metal case.

He opens it with only a bit of hesitance, and then stares at the contents of the case. Hitoshi thinks he knows what this is. He had discussed the item with Nedzu many times before. But that was in theory.

This is a tangible item.

"I trust you know what it is Hitoshi-kun?" Nedzu prompts.

Hitoshi nods numbly, "It's the persona chords support item we talked about. Except you actually managed to pull it off this time." He answers.

This prompts both Izuku and Shouta to attempt to get a closer look, so Hitoshi finally lifts the mask out of the padded case and starts to examine it, clearly a bit shocked.

Nedzu's smile widens at the sight. "I did! Although I can't take all the credit this time. I consulted an associate of mine at Hatsume Industries. Hana and her daughter Mei were really the ones who figured out how to bring this wonderful invention to life. Mei helped with your gift as well Izuku-kun. I look forward to the day I get to introduce you both to her." Nedzu explains.

Meanwhile Shouta is busy shuddering at the thought of his sons meeting Hana Hatsume's daughter. Hana is the one who handles his support gear, having gone to school at the same time as Shouta they've known each other a long time.

Long enough to know that Izuku plus any Hatsume equals chaos.

 

"Wow." Hitoshi utters, "Thanks Nedzu-sensei. I can't wait to start training with it." He says.

"I look forward to it as well. Do let me know what you plan to start using it. As I wish to be there to witness for myself how well it works in your hands." Nedzu replies.   

 

It's at this time that Inui arrives back at the apartment. Clutched firmly in his arms is a large square gift with rounded corners.

"Ah, and there's Inui with your gift Izuku-kun." Nedzu chirps, "Excellent, please set it down over here Inui." He requests.

Inui nods and, with a grunt, sets the clearly heavy present down in the middle of the room.

Izuku bounces excitedly in his seat in anticipation.

"Alright Izuku-kun, go ahead and open it." Nedzu instructs.

Izuku is up in an instant and quickly unwrapping the present.

Once unwrapped, Izuku is staring at what looks to be a safe. Is this for his notebooks he wonders?

"You'll find that safe to be virtually indestructible." Nedzu begins by telling him, "We went through countless designs to ensure it will not only survive any impeding apocalyptic happenstance, but also that it has higher quality security than even that of UA."

Suddenly everyone but Izuku is looking at the box with varying degrees of horror and fascination.

"It's for your notebooks, I might add. And any other document deemed necessary to be placed under such protection." Nedzu adds, "For such knowledge needs to be properly protected. Especially in this world that we live in." He finishes.

~Think we can hide inside it?~ Variant wonders.

<Its for putting things into, not ourselves.> Chance corrects.

~Okay, then what if we locked Bakugo in the safe. He'd ever get out to bother us.~

Izuku can hear Chance laughing, <While not a bad idea, it is al illegal one.> he points out.

~Like that is going to stop me.~ Variant counters.

Izuku suppresses a giggle and examines the safe further. It really is a feat of engineering. And he loves it.

Thus, is anyone really surprised at this point when Izuku insists on hugging Nedzu? No, not really.

What is surprising is the fact that Nedzu not only allows it, but also seems to reciprocate the gesture.

Hmm. Interesting.

"Thank you Nedzu-sensei." Izuku murmurs.

Nedzu nods, "Of course little one." He replies, only for Izuku's ears.

 

Once they pull apart Naomasa clears his throat.

"Last but not least I believe Sansa has something to give both you boys.

Sansa nods and hands his gifts to Naomasa to be given to the boys.

Izuku and Hitoshi exchange glances with each other. They haven't met Sansa really, so they're not sure what to expect from the man (cat? cat-man? ahem).

"Go ahead and open them boys. I promise the won't hurt you." Sansa teases.

This gains a few chuckles from the other adults in the room.

And so the boys open their gifts.

Once unwrapped they hold two plaques.

On them is the word 'family' and then under it is their names ('Aitsuchi Izuku', 'Aitsuchi Hitoshi') and then under that the dates that the adoption certificates were finalized. The plaques are actually quite nice. 

~Wow. It's like making it official all over again. I like this, even if it came from a cat man. ~

<This is nice. How thoughtful of him.>

"Thank you Sansa-san." Izuku says sincerely.

Hitoshi nods in agreement, still wary of talking around someone he doesn't know well.

"You're very welcome. I did help your papa complete and file the paperwork after all." He tells them with a grin, "Certificates are nice and all, but I thought theses would be more meaningful."

"Do my eyes deceive me, or are those adoption plaques?" Stephan interrupts, excitement clear in his voice.

"They are." Shouta answers, "We gave asked the boys about it this morning. And now they are officially Aitsuchi Izuku and Aitsuchi Hitoshi." He informs the room.

"That's awesome!" Hawks exclaims, "Congrats fledglings!" he cheers.

The two boys blush a bit at the acknowledgment.

"That is great news. Congratulations boys." Inui echoes.

"Thank you." Hitoshi mumbles, looking down with slightly pink cheeks.

 

"Now then. With this part of the festivities at an end. I say it's about time we go back to playing our games." Nedzu proposes.

"Yes!" Izuku and Hitoshi say at the same time.

The other adults exchange wary glances.

Games with this group are anything but normal.

Then again, nothing really is where it comes to them. Especially not their holiday

---

Some anniversary art for us from Plantah!

Notes:

Greetings my dudes, how goes it?

I'm back finally. I know it took me forever to get this done. Again.
My winter break has been absolute chaos. I just got home from spending the past week across the United States from home, settling my Uncle's estate and my inheritance. There's still so much to do, it's insane.
A little under two weeks ago I was in Canada visiting family for the first time since the pandemic happened. So that was fun.

And now I go back to college on Tuesday. My break is already over and I really only accomplished writing this chapter. Not much planning got done if I'm being honest.

Anyway. What did we think? Was it fluffy enough for you? I hope so.
I have to thank my discord server for all the scene ideas and gift ideas. You guys really pulled through. And of course, all of my readers for you patience as I struggle to get chapters out in a timely manner.

Big question, do we approve of Izuku and Hitoshi's new last name? I sat there combining 'Aizawa' and 'Tsukauchi' in a million different ways until I found something I liked and thought sounded good. Hopefully you guys agree.

I can't make any promises on when the next chapter will be released. My life is insane right now. That and there's a lot of video games that I've been playing. Between Genshin Impact, Nier Automata and now Fire Emblem Engage is coming out, I have my hands full. I apologize.
That and you know, college.

Well that's all from me. I hope everyone had a great Christmas/Holiday. Here's to another great year of writing. You guys are awesome.

Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 20: I Know Not What They Mean

Summary:

The whispers they do speak
Their faces I do seek
To them my ear I lean
I know not what they mean
~~
Bakugo's sentencing
Brotherly bonding
Stephan

Notes:

I'm back with another chapter

This one is much shorter. Only about 4k. I was yelled at when I dared call a four thousand word chapter short.
I'm sorry?

Next is Izuku's trial arc, which I will need to write all at once before posted. Thus I have decided to give you this little bit to lose your minds over before I disappear to write more.

I do feel the need to add my disclaimer again tho:
Disclaimer: My college majors are computer programming and web development, NOT law and ethics. Please keep this in mind when reading this arc. I did do some research, albeit at 1am-3am so take that as you will.
This is also fiction, specifically fanfiction, so I am allowed to twist things to suit the story. As with the psychiatric treatment, I want this to be realistic but not at the cost of entertainment.
Please do not fact check me or tell me I am wrong. Just enjoy the damn story.

 

ENJOY

When Naomasa wakes up it's with Shouta laying half on top of him with his head resting on Naomasa's chest, much like every other morning of the past five years of their marriage. And just the same he takes a moment to just run his hand through Shouta's hair and just enjoy his presence.

Eventually however, he does glance at the clock, and finds that he once again has woken up before his alarm. Working the same job for as long as he has will do that to a person. He thus decides to stay where he is until his alarm actually goes off. It's another ten minutes later that Naomasa is struggling to reach his phone to turn the alarm off. Despite this, he does manage.

Resigned to getting up, Naomasa reaches down and grabs the spare pillow he keeps resting against his side of the bed. He starts the process of sliding the pillow under Shouta so that his husband is resting on it and not Naomasa. He then carefully wiggles his way out from under him and silently gets out of bed.

Naomasa will admit that he is quite proud of the technique he has developed over the years. Shouta is an extremely light sleeper, so moving him without waking him up is a feat in and of itself.

Smiling fondly to himself., Naomasa remembers how mornings at the start of their marriage would play out. Naomasa would attempt to get out of bed, only for Shouta to startle awake the moment Naomasa's hands were on him. He would then follow Naomasa into the kitchen instead of going back to bed, stubbornly insisting that trying to sleep now that he was wide awake was illogical. Only for Naomasa to end up carrying his husband back to bed once he was done eating breakfast because Shouta always managed to fall asleep at the kitchen island.

By the time Naomasa got the hang of not waking him up, Shouta had started working at UA and as a result needed to get up at that time anyway.

Mornings these days now include Naomasa walking through the family room to often find Hitoshi asleep on the couch with Fanta, his insomnia having kept him up late, or Izuku lounging on the rug with Knife because he woke up early and was too anxious to go back to sleep.

This morning, however, is one of the rare mornings where both boys are asleep in their beds still, as it should be.

With practiced silence, Naomasa makes himself coffee and breakfast in the kitchen before he goes back to the bedroom to get dressed for work. Within the half hour he is putting on his coat and hat and heading out the door after one last glance around the apartment.

                 

---

When Shouta wakes up he's lying on top of the usual pillow while Loud Cloud is curled up somewhere near his legs.

Upon noticing that Shouta is now awake, the white cat makes his way over to sit in front of Shouta's face and meow obnoxiously at him. This is Shouta's version of an alarm. If he happens to sleep past the usual time, Loud Cloud will make sure Shouta is up regardless.

Shouta sits up and brushes his hair out of his face and pets the cat as per his usual morning routine.

Eventually Shouta does get out of bed. And while normally he doesn't get dressed until he's had at least two cups of coffee, he has a meeting to call into today.

The results of Bakugo's trial have been released and they will be going over them at the station today. Shouta will be video calling in because someone still has to stay home with Izuku.

Once dressed, Shouta makes his way over to the kitchen to find Izuku sitting at the kitchen island writing in his notebook while simultaneously looking at something on his laptop. And of course, there's also the fresh pot of coffee his dear son always puts on for him when he gets up.

Eventually Hitoshi meanders into the kitchen, looking half dead as he usually does in the mornings. Shouta can totally relate.

Taking pity on the boy, he pours a cup for Hitoshi and sets it down in front of the kid who now sits at the island beside Izuku, staring blankly at the notebook Izuku is writing in. Which is honestly hilarious given the fact that Izuku writes in code and Hitoshi couldn't read it even if he was fully conscious.

Clutching the coffee given to him, Hitoshi gives Shouta a grateful look for gulping down the life giving drink.

 

"Alright you two, I have a video meeting in the office this morning." Shouta tells them, "Can I trust you two to entertain yourselves and not cause chaos?" he dares ask.

"Where's the fun in that?" Hitoshi asks.

Shouta gives him an unimpressed look.

Hitoshi sighs, "Fine, we won't cause too much chaos. For now at least." He concedes, "Enjoy your video call I guess."

"Have fun Dad!" Izuku chimes in, clearly not having listened to the majority of what was said.

Shouta shakes his head. Ridiculous, the both of them.

---

"Hey Eraser can you hear me?" Naomasa's voice can be heard through the headphones Shouta is wearing.

Shouta adjusts the headset some, "Yeah I can hear you detective. Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, I can see you too." Naomasa tells him.

"I can also see the rest of you. I think we're good on set up." Shouta confirms.

Shouta gets a genuine smile meant just for him before Naomasa sits back and the rest of the table comes properly into view.

Sitting at the table is Naomasa, Nedzu, Hound Dog, Sansa, and Hawks.

"Wonderful, shall we begin the meeting then?" Nedzu suggests.

He is met with affirmatives all around, so the meeting begins.

 

"To start off, we are here to discuss the sentencing of Bakugo Katsuki, as I'm sure you are all aware." Naomasa begins, "The over all verdict is he has been found guilty of all charges."

This knowledge is a relief to all in the room, that much is clear. Shouta himself can admit he was worried about how this trial would play out, regardless of how much the deck was stacked in their favor.

"And what actions has the court ordered?" Shouta asks.

"Allow my to answer that." Nedzu cuts in. "Bakugo-kun will be sentenced to six months to a year in a juvenile correctional facility, depending on behavior and will be on a heavy probation period following his release. Starting during his time in the juvenile correctional facility and continuing after as needed he will be attending court ordered anger management therapy. Following this, should he still plan to attend high school he will be limited to online and home schooling." Nedzu explains.

"And blacklisted from hero courses I would presume?" Hawks asks.

Nedzu's ever present smile sharpens, "Yes, I am seeing to that personally." He confirms, sending shivers down everyone's spines.

"Sounds to me like we got the outcome we wanted then." Hound Dog comments.

Naomasa nods, "We did. This definitely is a favorable outcome."

"There is also the matter of the restraining order I filed against Bakugo on Izuku's behalf." Nedzu tells them, "It was accepted and will not expire. Bakugo is not permitted near Izuku unless we wants to lengthen his sentencing."

Shouta watches as Naomasa's shoulders slump in relief. He knows his husband had been worrying about what would be stopping Bakugo from retaliating after he was eventually released.

Personally however, Shouta thinks Variant has probably scared Bakugo off. The blond look rightfully terrified when Variant tried to attack him. 

Serves the kid right. Shouta thinks.

Not every heroic, but it's the truth.

---

"And now we move on to Izuku's case." Nedzu tells them.

The mood in the room darkens. This is the topic that has been weighing heavily on their minds.

"Currently we are coming up on the next hearing for Izuku's plea of Temporary Insanity." Nedzu recaps, "If he continues to plea as such much longer he's going to be admitted to inpatient again." He informs. "As such we need to decide his state of Legal Competency."

"Legal Competency?" Hawks asks.

"Yes. Legal Competency is the ability for an individual to be tried based in their capacity to understand the charges being brought against them and the potential consequences there of." Naomasa explains, "Incompetency is often determined due to low IQ or, in Izuku's case, persistant mental illness."

"So what we need to do is decide if we can declare Izuku legally competent." Sansa finishes.

"Correct" Nedzu agrees, "Which is really a question for Hound Dog." He proposes.

All eyes turn to the hound hero.

Hound Dog clears his throat. "I would say at this point all of the alters have a proper understanding of the situation they have found themselves in and the consequences they could be facing." He answers, "Even if a certain someone doesn't seem to care." The then adds a bit sarcastically.

Yes, Variant doesn't see the fault in his still.

"So for the record, you deem him legally competent?" Nedzu asks, confirming.

"I do." Hound Dog affirms.

Nedzu nods, "Then now we decide how to proceed from here."

"Wait wait wait," Hawks interrupts, "I thought that he wasn't going to be charged because it was a forced quirk manifestation incident." He questions.

"Ah, that." Nedzu replies, "You see, it has to be proven in a court of law that it was in fact a quirk manifestation."

"Which given the nature of Variant as a quirk, is near impossible when it's based on speculation of physical enhancements." Naomasa continues for him, "The signs that we noticed when going over the footage are the only evidence that we have, aside from the fact that Variant can be suppressed by Erasure. And that fact doesn't serve to prove that Variant manifested as a quirk at the incident itself."

Hawks hums, "I guess that makes sense. It's unfortunate for Izuku though."

"It is, but that is why we are meeting here today. To discuss our plan of action for the upcoming trial.

                   

---

After a lengthy discussion it is decided that Izuku will plead Insanity Defense and Quirk Manifestation Protocol, arguing that his psychotic break left him not responsible for his actions due to not being mentally sound and that the manifestation of his quirk was out of his control. In addition they present the circumstances of Provocation and Justifiable Homicide; pointing out that Izuku had legitimate reason to fear for his own well being, such as grievous bodily harm or death and thus his resulting actions were justified in being irrational.

While Insanity Defense most often ends in admission to a psychiatric facility, they plan to present Izuku's time spent in inpatient during his Temporary Insanity plea. It's a bit backwards, but provided they can prove with a psychiatric evaluation that he is no longer in need of being admitted to such a facility then they should be fine.

           

---

"Now that we have that sorted out, I have to ask; what sort of consequences would Izuku be facing?" Shouta asks.

He has a rough idea, but he'd rather just be told straight up then leave it to his own imagination.

"Worse case scenario Izuku faces jail time or long term inpatient care." Nedzu tells him. "But generally speaking, he's looking a court ordered therapy, requiring constant supervision. It can't say for sure whether or not they will continue his house arrest or not. That would probably depend on a psychiatric evaluation." Nedzu explains, "But if they do allow him to go places he will most likely need to be accompanied by a member of a group of approved individuals. Until otherwise cleared."

Shouta nods, "And what about school?" he then asks.

Nedzu pauses a moment to think, "There is a high chance that he will not be allowed to attend school as a normal student." He admits, "But if that's the case then I will gladly continue to teach him myself. So you needn't worry about that."

Except for the fact that Izuku being taught by Nedzu is a cause for worry in itself.

"There is also a chance that the court will request a secondary psychiatric evaluation." Hound Dog tells them, "In which case a court ordered psychiatrist aside from myself will be required to perform an evaluation on Izuku."

"That's..." Naomasa begins, "Is not ideal. However entirely within the realm of possibility."

"We will have to make sure Izuku is prepared for such an outcome then." Shouta decides, "We can't simply spring this on him as a result of hoping it doesn't happen."

Hound Dog nods, "I agree. That is the advisable course of action. We shall discuss it with him at our next session."

"And hope Variant doesn't put up too much of a fight." Shouta mutters.

---

Meanwhile, Hitoshi and Izuku were in their shared room getting dressed.

"So what do you think Dad's meeting is about?" Hitoshi asks Izuku.

Izuku shrugs, "I'm not really sure, but if I had to guess I would say it's about Bakugo's case. It's been two weeks already since the trial." He muses.

"That makes sense. I can't wait for that bastard to get what's coming to him." Hitoshi comments.

Izuku stays quiet at the comment causing Hitoshi to turn around and look at him.

"Izu?" he questions. "You good?"

Izuku nods, "Yeah I'm fine. It's just...I dunno. I'm worried about the results I guess."

"Why? From the sound of it they had a pretty good case set up against him." Hitoshi asks.

"They did but...Bakugo always wins. It's always been that way, so why should this time be any different?" Izuku wonders, "Then there's the whole incident with Variant trying to attack him in the court room." He adds.

"Right, but wasn't it established that Bakugo provoked him?" Hitoshi points out.

"It was, yes. But that doesn't stop me from worrying about it." Izuku tells him.

Hitoshi walks over to where Izuku stands near the closet. Without a word he pulls his brother into a hug.

"And it's fine to worry. Just don't let that worry consume you okay? And tell someone if it gets bad, yeah?" Hitoshi says.

Izuku nods into his shoulder, his grip around Hitoshi's waist tightening, "Okay Toshi." He agrees, voice slightly muffled by the fabric of Hitoshi's cat hoodie.

They stay there in silence for a few moments before Hitoshi abruptly changes the subject.

"So, how about you tell me where you learned how to handle a butterfly knife? Cause I know you didn't learn that since we came here." Hitoshi says, pulling back from the hug to look Izuku in the eyes.

Izuku smiles at the questions and pulls away to begin speaking. "Oh yeah! No I didn't learn it while I was here." He admits, "I learned it while I was still attending Aldera. It was Variant's idea."

While he talks Izuku makes his way over to the drawer of his desk where he has been keeping the practice knife.

Pulling it out he continues, "Though Variant did really talk back then. It was more like instinctual ideas or implanted suggestions." Izuku explains.

"Oh? So he didn't talk to you." Hitoshi responds.

Izuku shakes his head. "No, not a first. He started...communicating we can call it about a month before the incident." Izuku elaborates, starting to spin the knife in his hand absently, "It wasn't until the week before the incident that I actually heard his voice. And that was when he told me he could make it stop. Make all the hurting stop."

Hitoshi just stays quiet and listens, letting Izuku talk through what can't be pleasant memories.

"And at that point I was too far gone to rationally think about it. I listened without question because if it meant the pain would stop I'd do anything at that point." Izuku admits, "And had I not, I honestly don't know how much longer I would have lasted at that point. At least until I sought out more...permanent solutions." He finishes, tossing the knife up and catching it by the handle with ease.

His hand stills and he just looks off into space for a long moment. Hitoshi knows that look, it's not one the ever leads to anything good.

"Well you never know when a skill like that will come in handy." Hitoshi says a bit louder than necessary, startling Izuku out of his thoughts, "And I know Stephan said he would teach us, but what do you say to giving me a bit of a head start?" he suggests.

Izuku's eyes light up. "Sure! I can try to teach you a few things. It will definitely be useful for hero work later on!"

 

Over the course of their impromptu lessons, Hitoshi realizes that even without Variant, Izuku would have been a force to be reckoned with had he decided to fight back. If anything, Variant just helped give a reason for him not to go straight to jail.

Hitoshi shakes those thoughts from his head for now and focuses back in on what Izuku is telling him.

---

As soon as the call ends, Shouta slumps back into his chair.

It's barely lunch time and he already needs a nap.

Sure, he's been involved with the legal proceedings of previous cases he was assigned. It doesn't happen a lot, but often enough that he know roughly how things play out. He can confidently say he's been able to make the necessary calls.

That said, making said decisions when it's your own child's future hanging in the balance? That's a lot more exhausting and stressful.

A loud meow startles Shouta out of the light doze he managed to fall into. He looks down and glares at Loud Cloud who is staring up at him from the floor.

In response the obnoxious creature jumps onto his lap, gets up in his face, and meows even louder.

Why does he put up with this?

Right, because he belongs to his cats, not the other way around.

---

Stephan suppresses a sigh as he once again makes his way down the back streets to the bar. He knows the way well enough now that he doesn't need to have Giran escort him there.

Besides, it's not like the man makes for great company. He's constantly trying to pull information out of Stephan. It's annoying.

Tomura called for him again and Stephan knows better than to make Tomura think he has to come to him. Because that never ends well for anyone.

 

When Stephan walks through the door of the bar, he's surprised by the amount of patrons. It seems like the bar was gaining some notoriety. Which is good, it makes for a better cover business when you actually have business to speak of.

"Bow." Tomura's dry voice greets, "You made it."

Stephan nods, "I did, as requested."

"Took you long enough." Tomura snaps, standing up, "We can talk in the backroom." He then tells him, leading the way through the door next to the bar counter.

 

Once inside the lounge like room, two settle onto opposite couches.

"So what did you want from me this time?" Stephan asks, wanting to get straight to the point.

"I want to know why you haven't brought the kid to me yet. I've been waiting for months now!" Tomura practically yells.

Seriously? Is that how he expected this whole arrangement to go? Typical Tomura.

"I haven't brought him to you yet because that was never part of the deal." Stephan tells him.

"Not part of the deal!? What do you mean not part of the deal!" Tomura is yelling now, and it's grating on Stephan's ears, along with his patience.

"You requested information on the kid, and I have been providing it to you." Stephan answers, "But I never said I would bring the kid to you. I said I would do some persuading, sure, but I'm not about to shove a traumatized child into a life of villainy. What do you take me for?" it's his turn to be short tempered.

"Then how else am I supposed to meet the kid!?" Tomura demands.

"That, my friend, is your problem. Not mine." Stephan replies, "And remember what we agreed on when you do get to meet with him?" he probes.

Tomura makes a face, one that is mostly hidden by the disembodied hand clutching his face, "That if he refuses to join us we leave him be. I know I know." He answers,  "I'm trying to gain allies not victims. That's Sensei's job."

Stephan scoffs, "And he does a great job at it. That's for sure."

Tomura's shoulders slump. "I just hope that if he does join our party, Sensei doesn't try to sink his teeth into him." He admits.

"If he does I will make sure he knows I have the underground hero community and Nedzu at my disposal. And I'm not afraid to use them." Stephan comments.

"You know it's not that simple to defeat a boss like All for One, Steve." Tomura replies.

Stephan shrugs, "I know, but it would be effective enough to deter him from drowning a child with his agenda. There's a reason he keeps himself a secret despite being so powerful. It's too much of a hassle to deal with heroes twenty-four seven. Trust me, I know, I deal with them every damn day."

"Are there at least some decent ones left?" Tomura asks.

Stephan nods, "There are. There's plenty of good heroes and good people involved with them. The real problem is the HPSC. But you already know that don't you."

"I do. And it's being looked into." Tomura replies.

Stephan raises an eyebrow, "Really now? By who?"

Tomura laughs, "Erin of course, she's our best rogue."

Stephan smirks, "True. Though I think Erin fancies herself an assassin more than a simple rogue."

"You're probably right. Regardless though she's great a her job. If not mildly terrifying." Tomura agrees.

Stephan is quiet for a moment, "You really think this is all gonna work?" he asks softly.

Tomura reaches up and removes the hand, he meets his friend's troubled gaze, "It has to. Things have to change and the way Sensei envisions the world isn't any better than what we have now. As the the victims ourselves I think we can do better."

Stephan nods, "And if this doesn't work? Then what?"

Tomura grins maniacally, "We just burn it all to the ground and start over?" he suggests.

Stephan glares at him, "No, that's what we don't do."

Tomura gives him a disappointed look, "Then I say we cross that bridge when we get there."

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

I gave you shorter chapter this time, it feels wrong. But it was important stuff to get out of the way.
Bakugo has officially been sentenced and I hope you all approve of what I have decided will happen as of now. Trust me, there will be more. Which may or may not be worse for Bakugo. I plead the fifth on that one.

So. Deju vu here but
STEPHAN, what do we think? I know you guys hated me last time and I really won't be surprised if you hate me again this time. Just, please, be gentle. And don't lose hope I guess?

My google searches are really starting to become questionable with all this legal jargon. I mean what about 'legal consequences of a school shooting' isn't questionable? I'm learning a lot tho I guess. Not that this is going to help me in life.

Just so you guys know I am in the middle of my college semester, so writing is going to be slow going. That said, I'm really excited for this upcoming arc so that should speed things along.
As always I appreciate you guys' patience and you sticking with me all this time. It means the world to me.

Now to go play some Genshin and wait for the outrage!

Later
>>--->Arrow

Chapter 21: Pieces They Mustn't Find

Summary:

The fragments of my mind
Pieces they mustn't find
There is simply much to hide
Rules by which to abide
~~
A complication with filing Izuku's case comes up

Notes:

I'm back! I know it's been ages and I'm sorry.
In my defense I did warn you that this would take a while.

I'm currently preparing this chapter to be posted while sitting in the spare dining room at work while waiting to get a table. Multitasking wooooo!

This chapter gave me quite a bit of trouble (pronoun usage crisis aside, thank you Tentroy for the help) and I had to take several breaks.

Today marks the end of my week long spring break. I spent almost half of my break writing this chapter for you guys. You're welcome. J

Anyways
I hope you like this next chapter!
ENJOY

 

A year ago, if you asked Naomasa what his favorite part about coming home was, he would have to say finding out where in the house Shouta had fallen asleep at this time.

Now, being tackled by Izuku as soon as he walks through the door is definitely his new favorite.

 

"Papa! You're home!" Naomasa hears along with the thudding of approaching footsteps. He manages to drop his briefcase just in time to catch the blur of green that is Izuku throwing himself at him.

"Yes, yes, I'm home." He replies with a chuckle, lifting Izuku up onto his hip. He has to push the thoughts of Izuku being far too small for his age away.

"Izu, you could at least let him come in the door first. His shoes are even still on." Hitoshi chides, appearing in the front entryway. He then sets to helping Naomasa take off his shoes despite his words.

"You say that like you're not just as excited to see him Toshi." Izuku pouts.

Hitoshi looks away to focus on picking up Naomasa's brief case instead of responding, his cheeks noticeably pink.

Naomasa leads the way down the hall and into the family room where Shouta is sitting on the couch waiting for them.

Izuku wiggles himself out of Naomasa's grip as Shouta walks over to greet his husband himself.

"Welcome home Nao." Shouta whispers, giving him a peck on the cheek.

Naomasa smiles, "What? No tackling me into a hug? I'm disappointed." He teases.

Shouta smacks his shoulder while giving him his signature 'unimpressed' look.

 

"Hitoshi, can you drop my briefcase off in my office?" Naomasa requests, to which Hitoshi nods, "I'm going to get changed and then start dinner." He then tells Shouta.

Shouta nods his assent and turns his attention to Izuku who has settled back on the floor with his notebook with Knife and Random loafing next to him.

Naomasa makes his way over to the bedroom, snagging Penguin off the couch as he passes before the stupid cat manages to fall again.

After he finishes dinner, they're going to sit down with Izuku and let him know the results of Bakugo's sentencing. Then they're going to have to tell him the plan for his own upcoming trial.

It's going to be a long evening.

 

                                                                                                    

 

Later that night, after dinner, Izuku is sat down with Zawa and Masa.

Hitoshi is also here this time, because Izuku insisted they stop leaving Hitoshi out of all of this. Much to Hitoshi's relief. Now he can witness it first hand instead of the two of them discussing it later when the adults aren't around.

That said, Izuku decided it would be best if he let Chance handle this particular conversation.

 

"So you wanted to talk about Bakugo?" Chance asks the adults that are sitting across from them at the dinning room table.

Nao-san nods, unfazed by the unannounced swap in alters. "We did. Today we received the report on Bakugo's sentencing." He tells them.

 

*So he was actually punished then right?* Izuku says.

~How about you let them actually tell us before you go jumping to conclusions.~ Variant shushes him by saying.

 

Hitoshi looks as Sho-san, "That's what your call today was about wasn't it?" he asks.

Sho-san nods, "It was. Along with one other topic that we will get to in a little bit."

"So what happened with Bakugo? Variant is kinda demanding an answer." Chance cuts in.

 

~Hey! I am not. Izuku's the one who asked.~ Variant argues.

Izuku can be heard giggling in the background.

 

Sho-san huffs a laugh, "Right, I'm sure he is. And just to start, Variant you are to leave Bakugo alone. We have an indefinite restraining order against him so he shouldn't be seeking you out ever. So don't go seeking him out."

"I make no promises Eraser." Variant replies, "But I'll try my best." He says with a smirk.

Chance grimaces as they are shoved back to fronting, "I can't make any promises with him either. It's not like I can really keep him from taking control."

{I can though!} Random chimes in.

~Stand in my way and you're dead.~ Variant snaps.

*Variant please don't kill Random, we don't know what would happen if you did. Save your murderous impulses for Bakugo please.* Izuku tries placating, *And Random, he's not kidding. I vote we just let him do his thing. He knows better than to get caught this time around. Right Variant?*

Variant hums, ~I have no plans on being stopped in the future.~

Chance sighs, <I'm going to pretend you're not plotting a murder right in front of me. Plausible deniability and all that.>

"Chance? You okay over there?" Nao-san asks, startling Chance out of their inner dialogue.

"I'm fine, they're just a bit distracting some times." Chance assures him.

~Oi! I resent that statement.~ Variant barks.

*Then stop interrupting and proving him right. Just shhhhh.*

{Yeah Variant, shhhhhh.} Random taunts.

Variant stands up, ~Why you little-~

"Guys! Knock it off!" Chance shouts, startling the room, "Variant get away from Random. Random stop taunting him. And all of you stop talking so I can focus on this conversation!"

Silence.

Chance looks at the startled faces of everyone at the table. "Um..."

*You said that out loud, Chance.* Izuku assists sheepishly.

Crap.

"This can wait if you need a minute or two Chance." Nao-san offers.

Chance shakes their head, "No, no. I'm fine. It's just a bit much managing them all talking and fronting at the same time." they admit.

~Apologies...~

*We don't mean to be a burden.*

{Sorry Chance.}

Chance sighs, holding a finger up to the others to give them a moment, <It's fine. I'm fine. We're fine. Just, try to behave please?>

~I guess we can behave. For now.~

*You got it Chance!*

Random appears on Chance's lap, curled up and starting to purr. {I'll be here.}

Taking a deep breath, Chance buries their hands in Random's long fluffy fur. They then look up at the others sitting around them, "We're good now. Please continue." 

Sho-san and Nao-san exchange glances.

"Bakugo has been sentenced to six months to a year in prison and heavy probation after his release." Nao-san tells them, "And like we said before, we have a restraining order in effect that he should follow unless he wants to go back to prison for an even longer sentence."

~How am I supposed to get revenge if we never see him again?~ Variant questions.

*I refuse to accept you complaining about us never seeing our abuser again Variant. I refuse.* Izuku snaps at him.

Variant put his hands up in surrender, ~Okay okay, I was just pondering is all. I don't really want to see him again either.~ he admits.

Chance can't help but agree with him on that front.

"That's great news, isn't it Chance?" Hitoshi says, turning to look at them.

Chance nods slowly, "It is great news. It's almost feels a bit too good to be true if I'm honest." He admits.

And it does. All their life Bakugo had been untouchable, infallible. The perfect hero to be. Number One.

So now you're telling them that Bakugo has had his future torn from him and has been put in prison? Is actually being punished for all the harm he's done?

Yeah. Definitely feels too good to be true.

"I can understand why you feel that way Chance. But I assure you this is reality. Bakugo isn't getting away with anything he did to you boys." Nao-san assures them.

"I realize that. I guess I'm just in shock for the moment." Chance replies.

Unlike the rest of them, who are very noisily celebrating back in the mindscape.

<So much for not being a distraction.> they mutter.

*Just because you're not excited doesn't mean I don't get to be. Let me have my moment. He's fucking gone!* Izuku cheers, dancing around the mindscape.

~Oooo the baby swears. Better back off Chance.~ Variant taunts while watching Izuku with an amused smile.

Izuku glares at him, indignant.

Chance chuckles, earning them a few looks from the other three at the table.

"The others are currently celebrating. Very noisily I might add." they inform them, "So while my reaction may be less than satisfying, I assure you that Izuku is running around screaming." they say with a smirk.

Sho-san snorts, "I'm sure he is."

 

"Now then, with the good news out of the way, it's time to get to the meat of the conversation." Nao-san begins.

Chance straightens in their chair, intrigued and ready to listen.

"Izuku's own trial is coming up very soon. And we will need to start preparing ourselves for it." Nao-san explains.

Any and all excitement dies with his words.

*That doesn't sound good. Are we going to go to jail too?*  Izuku questions.

Chance doesn't have an answer for him. They hate not having the answers.

 

"We know this puts a dampener on the excitement, but this can't be put off any longer. If you plea insanity much longer then you boys will be readmitted to inpatient. And we can't guarantee you'd be let back out any time soon." Nao-san continues.

"And you have made a lot of progress since the incident. You're no longer the terrified little boy I carried out of the school." Sho-san points out. "You've adjusted well, all of you have."

"And what all should we be expecting?" Chance asks.

Nao-san frowns, "We don't have a lot of information right now to work with. But we will ket you know as soon as we do." He tells them.

Chance nods. "I guess that will have to do then."

---

Naomasa was typing away at his desk when his work phone started ringing.

Picking it up off the desk he checks the caller ID.

 

Tamakawa Sansa

 

What could Sansa possibly be calling about at this hour? Then again it is Tuesday. He usually works night shift on Tuesdays.

Pressing the green button, Naomasa holds his phone up to his ear.

"Sansa. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asks.

There's a trilling laugh on the other end of the phone, "Try not to sound too put out Naomasa. I know you were still up working. You never really did adjust to working daylight shifts." Sansa replies.

"True as that may be, what do you need from me at this hour?" Naomasa asks again.

"There's been a development with Izuku's case that just crossed my desk." Sansa informs him, sounding none too pleased with this.

Naomasa wonders if he should brace himself, "Is that so? What is it?"

"The judge presiding over the case has ordered a second psychiatric evaluation of Izuku. Apparently he doesn't want to chance Hound Dog being biased due to his close relationship with Izuku." Sansa explains.

Naomasa's stomach drops, "Are you sure this isn't just a suggested course of action?" he questions, holding out hope.

There's a scratching sound that must be Sansa's fur rubbing against the phone as he shakes his head, "I called the court house to confirm right before I called you. It's an official court order." His friend tells him.

Damn it. This wasn't part of the plan. Although in hind sight they should have seen this coming.

"That's...problematic." Naomasa acknowledges, "Did it specify a doctor he needs to be seen by?"

"No it didn't. They just need to have the proper credentials that deems them a trusted neutral party." Sansa answers.

"Okay then. So at least we get to pick the doctor. However our options are limited by who would have an opening in time for the submission deadline. Was one provided?" Naomasa continues.

"Yes. They seem to think this is something we can get done in two weeks." Sansa tells him, sounding unimpressed.

Naomasa can't say he's too impressed either. "That is a ridiculous expectation when it comes to psychiatric appointments." He states, "Let me make a call and depending on what I'm told we can move from there." He instructs.

"Sounds good Naomasa. Just keep me posted. I'm in the office with you tomorrow morning, so just let me know then if you already have your answer." Sansa agrees.

"Thanks Sansa, will do. Have a good night." Naomasa replies.

"I'll try my best. You're not here to entertain me tonight." Sansa teases, "Have a good night Naomasa."

The two hang up then and Naomasa puts his phone down. He takes a moment to just close his eyes and breathe.

Well then. Time to make that phone call.

---

 

Despite it approaching midnight, Naomasa is pretty confident that he'll get an answer when he presses talk.

Sure enough, four rings later, the call picks up.

"Detective Tsukauchi? I thought you work daylight shift on Tuesdays?" comes the question.

"I do work daylight shift. This isn't exactly work related. But it is important. Do you have a few minutes?" he asks.

There's a brief silence, "Depends on exactly what this is about."

"There was a development with Izuku's case, Stephan. One I need your help with." Naomasa elaborates.

"Yeah, I have time. Just let me get to a more suitable spot." He replies.

While Naomasa waits he hears what he thinks are horns and voices in the background. He also hears the sound of Stephan running and jumping a few times. The hell?

"Alright. Lay it one me." Stephan finally says.

Naomasa takes a deep breath, "The judge presiding over the case has put a court order in for a second, third party psychiatric evaluation of Izuku. We have a two week deadline as well." He tells him.

"That's not good. But what does that have to do with me? I'm not a doctor." Stephan asks.

"I know that, but you have connections. I was wondering if you knew or knew of anyone that would be suitable or would at least be able to fit him in on such short notice." Naomasa explains.

Pause. Then a chuckle, "As a matter of fact I do know someone. A friend of mine has both his license in psychiatry and psychology. I could call in a favor and explain the situation to him for you?" he offers.

Naomasa's shoulders slump in relief. "That would be excellent Stephan. If you could do that then get back to me-"

"Bow, what the hell are you doing taking a phone call while perched on a ten story building?"  an all too familiar voice interrupts.

Is that?

"Eraser! What- what are you doing here?" Stephan forces out, sounding panicked.

He's talking to Shouta? But Shouta is on patrol. Oh no, don't tell him his suspicions about Stephan are actually correct.

"This specific building is always a stop on my patrol. What else would I be doing here in costume." Comes the annoyed reply, "Now who is so important that you are talking to them while out on your own patrol?"

Naomasa has to stifle a laugh when he hears Stephan's breathing picking up.

"W-well. I'm talking to the Detective!" Stephan tells him. "Say hello Detective, you're on speaker!" Stephan then chirps, sounding strained.

Naomasa grins, for all that it goes unseen, "Hello Eraserhead, how is your night going?" he asks, a hint of teasing in his voice.

"Just fine until I ran into this guy. How about yours? Don't you work daylight now?" Eraser asks.

You have to give them some credit, how would they have been able to keep their relationship a secret if they didn't know how to put on a show.

"I do. I just received a late night update on an important court case that I needed help with is all. I would have waited if he told me he was busy." Naomasa replies.

"Is that so? Well did you get what you needed?" Eraserhead checks.

"I did. We were about to say goodbye when you showed up." Naomasa replies.

"I see. Well Bow and I need to get back to work. Don't. We. Bow."  Eraser stresses, sounding dangerous.

Once again Naomasa has to try not to laugh.

"O-of course! Talk to you later Detective! I'll call you with that info once I have it." Stephan, or rather Bow, replies.

"Excellent. Don't go too hard on him Eraser." He teases.

"No promises." Comes the demonic reply, followed by a startled yelp before the line goes dead.

---

Stephan sighs heavily as he shoves the window shut behind him. Thanks to Eraser he had one hell of a night.

Typically Stephan heads home an hour or two earlier than Eraserhead given he starts an hour or two before the underground hero.

But not tonight.

After they got off the phone with the detective, Eraserhead ran him ragged. He dragged Stephan with him all across the district without stopping until it was time for the hero himself to head home for the night.

Personally Stephan doesn't see what the big deal is about him taking a call while on patrol. After all, heroes have to call in their takedowns all the time, and get calls for incident locations as well. And it's not like he was making a social call! It was for a case and he was talking to a detective. It's not Stephan's fault that said detective just so happened to be Eraser's husband!

 

"You're home late." A voice startles him.

Stephan spins around and drops into a combat stance, only to relax at the sight of Erin leaning against the wall across the room.

"Did you run into trouble?" she asks with a knowing smirk.

Stephan sighs, "If by trouble you mean the wrath of Eraserhead, then yes, I ran into a lot of trouble tonight." He replies.

Erin grimaces, knowing full well what it's like to deal with a vengeful Eraser. Not only was he her heroics teacher at UA, she also did her work studies and internships under him. She's arguably more well versed with the underground hero than Stephan is.

Not that it's something to be proud of. Eraserhead can be brutal when he wants to be.

"Is that so? What did you do this time?" she asks, walking over to meet him in the middle of the living room.

Given both of them patrol at night and both of them leave through the fire escape outside, they leave the associated window clear of anything that might get in the way. The result is a rather empty corner of their living room.

"Detective Tsukauchi called me while I was on patrol. So naturally I answered the phone. I had every intention of telling him I'd call him back if it wasn't important." Stephan begins, taking off his quiver and bow in the process, "Turns out he needed my help with something related to Izuku's case."

"Which is important." Erin states, agreeing.

"Exactly. Which, I'll need your help with getting a contact later." He tells her, causing her to look at him skeptically. "Anyway. Tsukauchi explained what he needed and I confirmed that I could in fact help. We were pretty much finished the conversation when Eraserhead ended up arriving on the same rooftop."

"You picked that one abandoned building in the commercial district didn't you." Erin predicts.

Stephan's shoulders slouch, "I did. And in hindsight, I should have remembered that he always stops at that building before I started doing anything he might not approve of."

"Yes, you should have." Erin agrees.

"Right. Well he shows up, demands why I was taking a phone call on patrol, and effectively outs my vigilante status to the detective." Stephan tells her.

Erin huffs a laugh, "Just your luck. Sounds like that secrets out now. Here's hoping he still trusts you with his sons."

Stephan shrugs, "I doubt it's going to change anything. If it would have, Eraser would have told him from the start. But he didn't. So it should be fine."

"If you say so." Erin replies, "So after you got off the phone he put you through hell didn't he?"

"He did. And it sucked." Stephan admits. "I don't know how you put up with it all those years."

Erin laughs, "It wasn't so much as 'put up with it' as it was doing everything I could just to survive it. He's a tough teacher. But he's a damn good hero and I have him to thank for where I am today."

"That's fair." Stephan replies.

 

"With that out of the way, what was this about a contact?" Erin asks.

"Oh! According to the detective, the judge presiding over Izuku's case ordered a secondary psychiatric evaluation. He called me to see if I knew anyone suitable that would be able to not only handle Izuku but also get him in within the two week time frame they were given." Stephan explains.

"Two weeks? The hell? You'd be lucky to get into a court certified psychiatrist in two months. What were they thinking?" Erin demands.

"Hell if I know. But I figured we could call Fox and see about him performing the eval." Stephan tells her.

Erin goes silent for a moment.

"You can try. He should agree to it." She tells him. "You'll need to call his work number though. You know how he is about keeping work and his personal life separate." She reminds him.

Stephan chuckles, "That's under the assumption the man has a personal life. Which we both know isn't true."

Erin sighs fondly, "You have a point. But that's part of what makes him who he is. And you have to admit his attachment to work has saved our asses countless times."

"It really has. Fingers crossed he doesn't take too much convincing." Stephan says hopefully.

"It shouldn't. He's taken quite an interest in the case. He just figured it was handled once he saw who all was involved." Erin tells him.

"Is that so? Well, we shall see when I call him tomorrow." Stephan says, "Are you headed to bed? What were you even doing up?" he asks.

Erin gives him an unimpressed look, "I was up doing paperwork and figured I'd wait for you to get home. Then you didn't show up and I was worried so I ended up continuing to wait for you to get home."

"Sorry for worrying you." Stephan apologizes.

Erin shakes her head, "It's fine, we've done it to each other enough times that it's not worth making too big a deal about unless someone actually gets hurt."

"If you say so." Stephan replies, "Well I'm going to bed. Just text me the number if you don't think you'll but up in the morning. I promised Tsukauchi I would call first thing."

"Will do." Erin replies, hugging him and pulling him in for a kiss, "Go get some sleep. See you tomorrow."

---

 

Sure enough, when Stephan wakes up that morning he finds Fox’s work number in his messages with Erin.

Despite what he said last night, he’s certain Fox will agree to take the case.

Fox has a license in both psychology and psychiatry but he specializes in criminal behavior, psychology and analysis. He’s worked closely with the police and heroes on cases for years, and that includes Stephan’s father and Erin’s parents when they were still alive.

Fox was also the one to assume custody of Erin when her parents died. Fox would do anything for her, regardless of its legality. Somehow that ended up extending to Stephan somewhere along the way, given Fox hasn’t reported him for vigilantism.

Stephan pushes the call button and raises the phone to his ear.

It rings for a bit before the call picks up.

“Foxivus Riley speaking.” comes the monotone greeting.

“Hey Fox. How are you?” Stephan says.

“Stephan, what did I tell you and Erin about calling my work phone.” Fox replies lowly.

“That we shouldn’t do it unless it's business related.” Stephan recites cheerily, “It’s a good thing I’m calling about a case for you then.”

Stephan can hear a resigned sigh on the other end of the line, “Very well then, I’m listening.” Fox tell him, sounding at least slightly intrigued.

“I take it you know about the Aldera shooting.” Stephan begins.

“Its the most controversial case of the past five years. Of course I’ve heard of it.” Fox dead pans.

“Right. Well I know the shooter personally. He was admitted to Hero’s Retreat’s psychiatric ward and I was assigned as his primary care nurse. I may have pulled a few strings after first meeting the kid in the ambulance.” Stephan continues.

“That doesn’t surprise me at all, knowing you. And it was probably for the best given the kid grew up quirkless.” Fox admits.

“Probably. But anyway. I’ve been fully invested in Izuku since. He’s a great kid.” Stephan replies.

“But what does that have to do with me? I thought Hound Dog and Nedzu were handling his case.” Fox asks.

“They are. But Detective Tsukauchi called me last night with a new development. After Hound Dog submitted his report on Izuku’s psychiatric condition the judge presiding over the case ordered a second psychiatric evaluation by an accredited third party. And that’s where you come in.” Stephan explains, “The detective called me asking if I knew anyone who would be suitable and could get it done within the two week deadline they were given.”

Fox sighs, “Two weeks is unrealistic at best.” he comments, “But that’s the justice  system for you. I have a surprisingly light case load right now, so I can fit him in this week. I’d just need his guardians to call and coordinate with me.” Fox tells him.

Stephan grins. “Excellent. It would need to be a house visit though. Izuku’s on house arrest.”

Fox hums, “That’s fine, wouldn’t be the first time and won’t be the last. In your opinion, how well are his guardian’s handling all this. Am I going to need to work around ignorance?” he asks.

Stephan chuckles. Fox has never been one to beat around the bush. He’s terribly blunt  and yet somehow extremely polite at the same time. It’s baffles Stephan sometimes.

“Detective Tsukauchi and Eraserhead are handling the situation just fine.” Stephan tells him.

There’s a long bit of silence in which Stephan can practically hear Fox processing.

“Good. This case needs all the competency it can get. Especially if they expect the child to avoid any major consequences.” Fox says finally, seemingly unfazed, but Stephan knows better.

Fox was still actively with the police when Eraserhead debuted and has worked with Tsukauchi many times over the years. He’s probably just as surprised as the rest of field that has managed to find out the two have somehow acquired children. Then again, nothing really manages to ruffle Fox, so maybe not.

“Isn’t that the truth.” Stephan agrees, “I can have Tsukauchi call you if you’d like to work out the details.” he offers.

“That sounds agreeable. Things will be more streamlined given he is also on the child’s case. It will mean I don’t need to consult two different people.” Fox replies, “Is there anything else you needed from me?” he then asks.

“Nope. That’s it. You’ve already been a great help.” Stephan says.

“Glad I could help. Make sure to tell Erin hello for me.” Fox replies, tone softer than before. “Talk to you soon.”

“Thanks Fox, bye.”

And with that the call ends.

---

Shouta and Naomasa didn't end up talking about the events of last night. They seemed to have somehow reached an unspoken agreement to just leave the topic alone. Naomasa can't say he really minded.

That said, Stephan called Naomasa later the next morning, just as promised. Naomasa was definitely surprised that Stephan was personal friends with Foxivus Riley, one of the most well known psychological and psychiatric experts in the law enforcement and hero world. The fact that he managed to get the man to agree to evaluating Izuku came as a shock. Then again, Naomasa had heard from Nedzu that Dr. Foxivus had expressed interest in the case, but ultimately agreed to let Hound Dog handle it. So perhaps it's not all that surprising.

Naomasa wasted no time calling the doctor as soon as he got off the phone with Stephan. And, while serious, he found that Dr. Foxivus was easy to communicate with. He gave the man a general synopsis of what was going on and promised to have Inui send Izuku's files over to him. They scheduled the eval for a day that both Naomasa and Shouta will be home as well. It was scheduled for Monday morning of next week. Hopefully that would give them enough time to prepare Izuku and the others for it. Although Naomasa isn't going to hold out hoping that this is going to go well. Not at all.

 

                                                                                                    

 

"What do you mean we have to see another doctor?" Chance demands the moment the words are out of Naomasa's mouth.

"We mean just that. The court judge ordered a secondary evaluation so that's  what needs to be done. Our hands are tied on this one Chance." Shouta tells him.

Chance is silent for a long moment. "How much do we need to tell them?" he asks.

"His job will be to determine if you boys are a threat to yourselves or others. If you are truly aware of what's going on around you and the situation you find yourselves in and are capable of acting appropriately. As such he will need to speak with each of you." Naomasa tells him.

Random meows from her place sitting on the table next to Chance.

"No, he doesn't need to speak to Random. If that's what she's asking." Shouta replies with a smile.

Chance huffs a bit in amusement, "That is exactly what she was asking." He admits.

Shouta nods firmly, "I figured. I'm learning." He states.

"You'll need to be honest with him. It's in all of your best interests to just cooperate. I know this isn't ideal but you're going to need to work with us if you want this to play out in your favor. Keep in mind the precarious position you are in." Naomasa continues.

Chance sighs heavily, "We are well aware of all that. And we'll cooperate as much as is necessary. It's not worth the risk to be difficult."

Naomasa can't help his surprise. He was sure it would take more convincing.

"That's it? You're just going to agree to it?" he asks before he can stop himself.

Chance gives him an unimpressed look, "We don't really have a choice, and we can recognize that this is what needs to be done to keep us safe. That's really all there is to it. And if Stephan trusts this person then we are willing to give them the benefit of the doubt." He explains.

"That's very mature of you boys. It shows how much you've improved." Shouta says with a smile, "We're proud of you." He tells them earnestly.

Chance looks away, blushing heavily and mumbling something unintelligible under his breath.   

"Thanks Dad! Thanks Papa!" Izuku chirps, bounding out of his seat to hug them both.

---

---

Fox sat in pensive silence as he read over the file of Aitsuchi Izuku.

Nothing intrigued Fox like the human mind. It was so fragile, and yet capable of going to extensive lengths to protect itself. It was stubborn and unyielding while also being flexible and adaptable. It was capable of vast creativity and concise logic. It can be blissfully optimistic and critically realistic.

The human mind is a fascinating thing, it's a creature all on its own. And Fox can never get enough of studying it.

 

This child's mind is a prime example of this spectacular phenomenon. It broke under the weight of his treatment leading to his initial lashing out, and yet went as far as to create a second person within it, and later a third and fourth. One that was capable of fiercely protecting itself from further harm and one that cares for and supports itself. His mind focuses solely and stubbornly on safety, necessity, and survival while still bending to adjust to their new situation and learn to be content with where they are. His mind created its own little world for them to live and thrive within itself, while still remaining aware of its needs and priorities. The alters display a vast range of emotions, each with their own thoughts, ideals, intents and perspectives.

Aitsuchi Izuku's mind is the pinnacle of the human brain's capabilities.

 

That said, Fox's real job here is to determine if the child can be considered mentally sound and thus legally competent.  He will also need to speak with each alter and decide if they are a threat to themselves or others and thus does not need to be readmitted to a psychiatric facility. All while not coming off as a threat himself and hoping that they are honest with him.

Fox would be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to this opportunity.

---

Fox firmly knocks on the door to that apartment and waits for it to be answered. It is Monday morning and thus time for the anticipated meeting with Aitsuchi Izuku.

Despite himself, Fox is a bit nervous. He wasn't exactly sure why given he's met with dangerous and psychotic criminals countless times during his career, but he is. And perhaps that's why he's nervous. This isn't an adult that has no remorse for their actions. This isn't an adult that is mature enough to handle a clinical evaluation. This is a child, a terrified, traumatized child that Fox is trying to reach out to and help.

In short, Fox is out of his depth.

 

The door opens to reveal the man he spoke with on the phone, Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. Fox will admit he was surprised the man adopted not just one, but two children. Eraserhead he saw coming, in a way they all did, but the detective he figured would be a more difficult sell. But alas, he has been proven wrong.

"Good morning Dr. Riley." Tsukauchi greets.

"Just Foxivus is fine, Dr. Riley is too formal for this sort of visit." Fox tells him. He would much prefer it if they called him by his first name. He's never really liked the Japanese custom of using surnames. And given he's not Japanese, he can get away with such behavior he has found.

"Of course, Dr. Foxivus. Please come in." Tsukauchi replies. It's an improvement he supposes.

Fox follows the detective into his home and closes the door behind himself. He removes his shoes, pets the white cat that squawks at him and then picks his briefcase back up and following behind the man further into the apartment.

"Don't mind the cats. None of them are all that aggressive towards strangers. Loud Cloud, the white one, will just talk to you every chance he gets and Knife will watch you from a distance at all times. The other two are probably hiding. You'll probably see Random at some point as well." Tsukauchi tells him.

"Random is one of the alters isn't she?" Fox asks.

Tsukauchi nods, "You're correct, seems you've done your homework." The man says with a smile.

"I always do my homework before walking into an evaluation. Especially one as delicate as this one." Fox replies.

"Understandable. Still I think we both know not everyone in law enforcement is as sensible." Tsukauchi jokes.

Fox can't help but chuckle at the remark. "No, in fact most are not these days I find." He agrees.

They arrive at the dining room and Tsukauchi pulls a chair out for Fox.

"Have a seat. Is there anything you wanted to go over with us before you meet with Izuku?" the detective asks.

Fox shakes his head as he sets his briefcase on the table and opens it. "Not unless there is anything off the record you think I need to know." He answers, "Sure I read his file, but you and your husband know the boy far better than a stack of papers will ever hope to. And the last thing I want to do is step out of line. That said, it would be nice to know what I should avoid doing or saying. I don't want to make him uncomfortable or scare him off."

Tsukauchi ponders this for a moment. "That's honestly more of a question for Shouta than it is for me. He knows about Izuku's triggers better than I do. Let me go grab him." He says, before hastily leaving the room.

Well if there was any question of which parent Izuku favors, that certainly helps answer it. Though the file did mention that Izuku is trauma bonded to Eraserhead. So for the most part Fox had expected this.

A few moments later Tsukauchi returns with a familiar dark haired man. Yes, Fox has worked with Eraserhead many times over the years. He finds the hero to be quite competent and excellent to have on cases. As the detective leaves Fox thinks he catches sight of green hair peeking around the corner.

"Eraserhead. How are you?" Foxivus asks in way of greeting.

Eraserhead looks at him, "I'm fine. How have you been Foxivus, keeping busy?" he asks.

"I have been. Crime never rests after all, as I'm sure you're all too well aware." Fox replies, "Would you prefer I call you Aizawa?"

Aizawa nods, "That would be preferable, I'm off duty after all. That, and it's only logical given you're in my apartment." He answers, "Naomasa said you had questions about Izuku?"

"I was just hoping to get a bitter gauge on how I should conduct myself while working with your son. I don't want to cross any lines after all." Fox explains.

Aizawa sits down at the table across from Fox, "Logical, and appreciated." Aizawa replies, "I'll tell you what I can."

"That would be appreciated." Fox says. 

"First you'll be meeting with Variant. He's the protector and extremely defensive. He's the only one you really need to worry about getting openly aggressive. Don't water things down though, give it to him straight. He doesn't like being treated like glass. If you get past him you'll talk to Chance. Prepare to be dissected and analyzed. Chance is the brains behind the operation and the one who has been handling everything to with their case for the most part. Give him as much information as you can. But at the same time he is the one to ask all of the big questions. He has all of the answers. If you pass both their tests you'll get to talk to Izuku. He's the only one you really need to worry about scaring off or upsetting. He's skittish and shy, but determined and genuine. Soft tones and clear intentions work best with him." Aizawa informs.

Fox takes a moment to process all of this information. He is once again reminded of the reality of the situation he has found himself in. He's not just meeting with a traumatized child. He's meeting with three, extremely different children who will work together to protect themselves from him. He has three minds to analyze not just one. And it's a welcome challenge.

"Excellent, thank you. I'm ready whenever they are." He tells him.

Aizawa nods, "I'll go get them then. Good luck."

The man then gets up and slouches off out of the room and down the hall.

---

Fox waits at the table patiently. He has a legal pad out and a pen at the ready. All he needs now is for the boy to arrive.

He isn't kept waiting long. In walks a short boy with fluffy green hair and countless freckles. His eyes are toxic green, sharp as a blade and calculating. His shoulders are square and his head held high, he gives off an aura of confidence and strength.

So this is Variant.

Variant sits down at the table and a grey cat with bright spring green eyes jumps up onto the table to sit to his left. Variant glares at the cat and the cat glares back before the two settle their gazes on Fox.

"Hello." He greets, "My name is Foxivus Riley. But you can just call me Fox."

Both the cat and the child narrow their eyes at him for a moment, and Fox pushes the feeling of being in danger to the back of his mind.

Variant relaxes and settles his threaded together hands on the table, "Hello doctor. I'm Variant and this is Random. You'll be talking with me first today. I hope that's not a problem." The child says coldly.

"Not at all. I'm here to speak with all of you today after all. Well, except Random. I apologize Random but you are a cat. I hope my reasoning for not doing a psychiatric evaluation on a feline is understandable." Fox replies.

The cat nods, which is a bit unnerving.

"It makes sense. The less time this all takes the better." Variant says.

"I assure you this won't take much time so long as you cooperate." Fox tells him.

Variant gives him an unimpressed look, "You're going to have to earn that cooperation Doctor."

"I am aware." Fox replies. "So, how are you adjusting to living here with Eraserhead and the detective?" he leads with.

Variant is trying not to look confused. "What does that matter? Aren't you here to gauge my 'threat level' or whatever?" he demands.

"I am. But there's more to that than just asking you if you plan to hurt yourself or others. Being a threat isn't always intentional, nor is it a constant state of yes or no. It's my job to decide if your current metal state has a low enough potential of being a threat to be considered safe." Fox explains.

Variant looks a little caught off guard, but he hides it well. Unfortunately for the teen, Fox has twenty years experience of seeing past the masks people put on when talking with him.

"Well, it's fine. Eraser is here and he keeps us safe. Though its not great when he leaves, I can manage well enough given the fact that no one here is actively trying to hurt us. They don't let me around anything that could be used as a weapon, such as sharp objects, which is less than ideal but I can make it work." Variant tells him.

What the child doesn't realize is that he's also giving Fox a look into how Eraserhead and Detective Tsukauchi have handled having him in their care. Which is another thing the court will be taking into consideration.

"There is another child staying here with you, is there not? Do you two get along well?" Fox continues.

Variant nods, "Hitoshi is amazing and having him here is great. Izuku thinks very highly of him. He's our brother."

"I see. Well that's good then. Tell me, if you consider here to be safe, on what occasions do you feel threatened?" Fox asks.

Variant thinks a moment, "On the nights when Eraser is gone on patrol I'm usually restless. When we have nightmares as well. Like I said, it's mostly safe here. Often times I'm not needed." He sounds oddly conflicted about this fact.

"Are you worried about going back to the outside world then? Leaving the safety you've found here?" Fox inquires.

Variant glares at him, "First off, it's literally my job to worry. I will always worry for our well being. But yes, I am worried for when we go back to the outside world. They don't treat the quirkless well. And apparently I'm not allowed to defend us or fight back." He answers.

"You are allowed to defend yourself, just within reason. A school shooting is not within reason."  Fox argues, "And you're not quirkless anymore."

Variant chuckles humorously, "Sure I'm not quirkless. But Izuku and Chance still are. And Random is a cat. There's still plenty of threats to all of them out there. And it's my job to combat those threats whenever and wherever they appear."

Fox hums, "So then you would still resort to violence to defend yourself." He suggests.

Variant shakes his head, "I realize I went to far the first time. I know that now. In my defense I had no way of knowing that back then. All I knew was that violence was directed at us and used to hurt us while going unpunished. How, then, as a developing consciousness, was I supposed to know that violence was wrong when that's all I ever saw from our peers?" he questions.

"I suppose you have a point. But that doesn't change the fact that you were the cause of all those deaths and injuries." Fox replies.

"No, it doesn't. And if there are less violent ways to solve the problem then I know now to use them. I've been taught that." Variant agrees.

And yet Fox can sense the silently implied 'but I will if I have to'. And there in lies the problem, keeping Variant from deeming violence necessary. Fox needs to decide if he will ever get to that point or not.

"Then you understand the situation you find yourselves in?" he then asks.

A blink and he gets his answer, "Of course we do. It's been explained to us many times. And we know how lucky we are that we weren't just thrown into a psyche ward and left to rot."

Fox has to suppress a flinch at the sudden change in tone and demeanor. Teal eyes stare harshly into his. Where Variant's toxic green glare felt like a knife cutting into him, Chance's stare felt like he was being picked apart piece by piece. He now understands just what Eraserhead meant by being dissected.

"You must be Chance then. Pleasure to meet you." Fox greets.

Teal eyes narrow and his hands separate to instead fold his arms on the table. It would look casual were it not for the weight of his gaze, "The pleasure is ours. And yes, I am Chance. At this point I think we're past the questions that need to be directed at Variant. Understanding our current situation is my job not his." Chance replies.

Fox hums in understanding, "I see. So then, you do understand the severity of your situation." He confirms.

"We understand that this trial is to determine if we are to be placed back in a psychiatric facility or if we can continue to live where we are and if so what restrictions will be placed on us. They can't charge us for any of the damage we caused because it was during a quirk manifestation so we can't be held responsible." Chance recites.

Fox nods, "That's correct. And what are your expectations?"

"We're preparing for the worst of course, or well, trying to. But with the support system we have I can't help but be at least somewhat optimistic." Chance admits.

"And do you trust your support system to get you through this?" Fox asks.

Chance grimaces, "Trust...is a strong word. Izuku trusts them, I'm not there yet and neither is Variant. Maybe that will change after this whole thing is over, but for now not quite. Trusting is hard, and we've been hurt so many times before. That said, we do have faith in them to get us through this. They have and will continue to fight for us and for that we are grateful."

Fox gives him a small smile, "And that's fine. Like you said trust is a big step and you needn't rush it. Let it form naturally. So long as you believe they will support you through this that is enough for now." He assures him, "Why don't you tell me about this support system of yours."

Chance smiles a bit at the thought, "Well Sho-san and Nao-san are great dads. Sho-san is so gentle and patient with us, he always seems to know what we need. He never seems to mind when we are clingy. Nao-san is always there when we need him in a pinch, he always lets us crawl into bed with him if we get overwhelmed while Sho-san is gone on patrol. His cooking is great too. Hitoshi is the best brother ever, we love him. He's super supportive and gives the best cuddles. Don't tell Sho-san I said that though or he'll be up in arms over it. Stephan is a lot of fun and super nice. He's also quirkless so he understands what it's like. Nedzu-sensei is an absolutely terrifying and chaotic being, we're just glad he's on our side. Hawks is awesome even though we don't get to see him too often. Inui-san is understanding and doesn't push us too far during sessions, which we appreciate. He also has an uncanny knack for getting us to talk, it's a bit unnerving at times." Chance pauses, "Must be a psychiatrist thing, cause you've gone and done it too Dr. Fox." They point out.

Fox chuckles, "It's part of our job to talk to people, so it certainly helps to be good at it.

"I see your point." Chance agrees, "And admittedly you haven't been too bad so far. Asking questions is your job and you haven't been pushy about it."

"Does that mean I get to talk to Izuku now?" Fox dares ask.

Chance gives him a long calculating look and Fox tries not to falter under his stare. "I guess. But be nice, or I'll sick Variant on you." they threaten.

Chance closes their eyes and when they open it's emerald green that looks at him. The boy's posture loses any and all stiffness and his gaze is bright and curious, if not a little nervous.

"Hello Fox! I'm Izuku!" he chirps, "But you already knew that didn't you?" he mumbles at the end.

Again the difference in personality catches Fox off guard. He'll admit he's not used to the child-like cheer and innocence. He routinely deals with criminals after all. It's a nice change though.

"Hello Izuku. It's nice to meet you." Fox says in reply. "How are you?"

Izuku tilts his head at the question, unconsciously bringing his hands together to fidget with and pick at. That is, until Random decides to sit herself on top of them with a meow. Izuku gives her what looks to be a sheepish yet grateful smile and instead buries his fingers in her fur. Random trills at him and Izuku's attention snaps back to Fox.

"I'm okay. A bit nervous and overwhelmed at times. But I'm okay." He answers hesitantly.

"That's understandable. It's a complex situation you've found yourselves in." Fox replies.

Izuku nods, "But I have the others, so I should be okay. Variant will keep me safe and Chance always knows what to do."

Random meows insistently. Izuku giggles, "And I have Random for support as well."

"Are you not worried about Variant lashing out like he did at Bakugo's trial?" Fox asks.

Izuku shakes his head, "I know he wouldn't do it without good reason. And they're not supposed to be openly threatening me in court right? I trust Variant to keep me safe and Chance to handle any situation that arises. That's why I have them after all." 

"I understand. That's all I needed from you Izuku. Thank you and thank the others for me." Fox says.

"I will! I'll go get Dad and Papa for you." Izuku tells him, and then runs off.

 

Quite the interesting child. Fox has a lot to think about.

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

I'm actually doing pretty good. My classes are going well and I haven't had any more crises yet. YET. I am an AO3 author after all, it's only a matter of time really. I'm scared.

This chapter was a last minute addition to the plan. So I really had no idea what I wanted to do with it. I did thoroughly enjoy the scene with Eraser finding Stephan on the phone. I hope you guys did too.

What did we think of Fox? He's another one of my OCs that I have stashed away from my original work that I worked on for like 10 years. He's a very serious and stoic person, but underneath he has kindness waiting to be given. He is also very loyal and takes his duty very seriously (he was a former night captain alright, if that helps give a bit of context). I don't know if we will be seeing more of him, I really don't.

I didn't really know what to do with the psychiatric evaluation. I know I've already told you guys that I don't like getting too much into actual therapy sessions and such and honestly I very nearly just skipped it entirely. Then I got a sudden spark of inspiration for it while at work and had to somehow not forget it before I got home to type it out.

I think that's all I have to say, dinner rush is coming so I'm out of time anyhow.

Thanks for reading! You're feedback and support is always appreciated as is your patience.

Later
>>--->Arrow

Chapter 22: Of Dreams Shattered And Broken

Summary:

Desperate words are spoken
Of Dreams shattered and broken
Be they not lies or fear
They are things I must hear
~~
Its time. Izuku's trial is here!

Notes:

HELLO I'M BACK

It's been a while hasn't it? My semester ended in the first week of May, but then I had to actually write the chapter, so here we are. Your patience is forever appreciated. So are all the loving comments. I really don't know how to take compliments though, so you keep breaking your poor author. My discord server finds this fact hilarious.

I struggled so much with this chapter. It got to the point where I just forced it to be written because I need to move past it.
I hope it still meets all of your standards!

ENJOY

True to his word, Foxivus turned in his own psychiatric evaluation to the court within the time constraint. The court did accept it as valid confirmation of Izuku's Legal Competency and mental stability. They were then given an official court date to prepare for.

Which brings them to now, Shouta and Naomasa reviewing the details at the dinning room table after the kids had already gone to bed.

"They've given us a court date, it's about a week from now." Naomasa states.

Shouta nods, "It is, which means we need to meet with the others as soon as possible."

"We can probably set up a meeting for tomorrow afternoon. I'll start sending out the email to request one." Naomasa replies, navigating to his email on his computer.

While he does that, Shouta reads over the general information. One specific line catches his eye.

"Nao." He calls.

Naomasa immediately looks up at the urgency in his tone.

"What is it Sho?" he asks, concerned.

"They want Izuku to wear quirk suppressant cuffs while in the court room." Shouta reads out.

Before either of them are given a chance to react, they are interrupted by a tiny gasp from in the hall.

Shit, Izuku's been eaves dropping hasn't he.

"Come here Izuku, I know you're out there." Shouta calls.

Sure enough, a head of green curls appears in the doorway to the hall.

Shouta gives him a soft smile, "Come sit, we can talk about this together instead of you panicking in your room." He instructs, motioning for Izuku to come closer.

Izuku visibly hesitates before relenting and padding over to Shouta, shoulders hunched and eyes wild with emotion. He doesn't even hesitate before inserting himself into Shouta's lap.

"What's going on in that head of yours Izuku?" Shouta asks.

"I'm scared. I don't wanna go." Izuku whines.

Shouta sighs, "I know you don't, but we don't have a choice. And once this is over you'll be free to do so much more. We just need to get past this." He reasons.

"But if I wear the cuffs then Variant can't front if he's needed." Izuku argues.

"No, but it also says that your chaperone is to accompany you, so I will be sitting with you the entire time." Shouta tells him.

Izuku looks up at him, a slight light of hope in his eyes, "Really?" he asks, and its a fragile thing.

"Really. And with me there, I can keep you safe in Variant's place, okay?" Shouta suggests.

Izuku think a moment before shrugging, "I guess that works. Doesn't mean I'm not still scared." He admits.

"And that's fine, you're allowed to be scared." Shouta tells him, running a hand through Izuku's curls. His son leans shamelessly into the touch, "Now then, how about you sit out here with us while we go through this. That way you know exactly what to expect. Sound good?"

Izuku nods, "Sounds good."

---

Despite them going over every detail they currently had, the absence of Variant has all of the alters on edge later that night when they've been put back to bed.

"Looks like we're going to need to figure out how to get that door open sooner rather than later." Chance says seriously.

"Which means we need to learn to pick locks within the next week." Variant adds.

"Didn't we say we were going to ask Stephan?" Izuku questions.

The others nod, "We did, but when will we see him next? It'd be suspicious to ask for a meeting specifically for this." Variant replies.

"Dad and Papa said they were going to the station to discuss the case with everyone. And that means Stephan will be watching us. So we can ask him then!" Izuku tells him.

Chance nods, "That does sound like the most likely scenario. We also should talk to Hitoshi about it. If Hitoshi also wants to learn, it will put less suspicion on us."

"So we talk to Hitoshi in the morning. Awesome! We have a plan!" Izuku cheers.

The others can't help exchanging fond looks at his enthusiasm.

---

"So what do you boys want to do today?" Stephan asks them as he drops himself down onto the floor in front of the couch they are sitting on.

Izuku and Hitoshi share a long look.

They had talked about their plan to ask Stephan that morning. Hitoshi was hesitant at first, but eventually gave in.

Now that they're actually in front of him this doesn't seem like such a great idea. 

~Moment of truth. You better ask him Zu.~ Variant says.

*I will, I will. But if this goes badly I'm blaming you Variant.* Izuku replies back.

"Alright out with it." Stephan interrupts, not unkindly, "You two are up so something and I want in on it."

They jolt, snapping their attention back to Stephan.

"Steve..." Izuku begins, "You know how to pick locks right?" he asks slowly.

Stephan looks surprised, "Yeah I do. Why?"

"Do you think you can teach us how to do it?" Izuku then inquires.

Stephan thinks on it a moment. "I mean, I guess I can. But that just makes me wonder why you want to know." He replies.

"It's a useful skill to have?" Hitoshi says, the statement sounding far too much like a question to be a believable cover up.

Stephan chuckles, "It's a very useful skill to have. Especially for someone who wants to be an underground hero." He admits, giving Hitoshi a knowing look, "But that doesn't explain why Izuku wants to know how to do it." He then points out.

Izuku stiffens. "Well technically it's Variant the wants to know how to do it, not me." He tells him.

Stephan smiles and shakes his head, "That doesn't make me feel any better, you know that right?"

Izuku's shoulders slump. Of course it doesn't. He should have known that.

~You really should have.~ Variant teases.

"I'll make you a deal." Stephan speaks up, "If you tell me what you need it for, then I will teach you how to do it. Otherwise I'm not showing you anything. I smell mischief and I don't want to be left out."

Izuku straightens in surprise. He can feel Hitoshi giving him a concerned look.

*Well, do I tell him?* Izuku questions.

There's a brief silence.

<It doesn't look like he's going to teach us otherwise. And learning on our own would take too long.> Chance says, sounding annoyed.

~And let's face it. It's not as though he can come into the mindscape and stop us.~ Variant points out.

<That is true. So I guess it won't hurt to tell him.> Chance agrees.

 

"Izuku? You good there buddy?" Stephan asks, sounding concerned.

Izuku switches his focus back to the world outside of his head. "Yeah I'm fine! I just had to ask the others what they thought." He tells him.

"Oh okay." Stephan replies, "And what did they say."

"That you can't actually stop us even if you wanted to so it's fine to tell you what we plan to do with the skill." Izuku recites.

Stephan huffs out a laugh, "Is that so? Well then I'm all ears."

Izuku takes a deep breath.

"So you know how Variant can be kept from fronting by Erasure or quirk suppressants?" he begins.

Stephan nods.

"When that happens, the door that lets him out of the mindscape is locked so that he can't get out of it to take control." Izuku explains, "And we recently figured out that if we can get the door unlocked, then Variant can front."

Stephan thinks a moment, "So you want me to teach you how to pick locks so that Variant can no longer be suppressed. Is that it?" he questions.

Izuku nods hesitantly.

"Does this have anything to do with your trial coming up?" Stephan then asks.

Izuku nods, "It does. They're making us wear quirk suppressant cuffs while in the court room. That leaves us vulnerable without Variant being about to take control to protect us."

"Then why ask me? Wouldn't it make more sense to learn without anyone knowing so you can make better use of this skill by keeping under the radar?" Stephan presses.

"It would take too much time to learn by ourselves and reach a sufficient level of skill to pull off our plan. So we need someone to teach us. Seeing as how Zawa would never agree to it, we decided to ask you." Izuku tells him.

Stephan hums thoughtfully, "I'll help, but I have conditions." He states, "Don't use this skill if you intend to harm someone. And don't tell anyone you learned it from me."

~Can he really stop me if I use it with intent to harm? Where does he get off making such a condition?~ Variant scoffs.

<This is less about restricting you and more about trust. You know, the thing you complain no one has in you.> Chance points out, <This is your chance to earn some.>

Variant sighs, heavy and world weary.

"Alright Stephan, I accept your conditions." Variant tells Stephan himself. "But you can't blame us if someone figures out you're the one who taught us how to pick locks."

Stephan's grin widens, "Of course. At that point it's on me to deal with." He agrees, "Now then, shall we get started?"

---

---

It definitely feels like deja vu sitting on Zawa's lap in one of the court waiting rooms. All of the adults around them are having a last minute discussion.  At least this time Izuku has the slightest idea of what to expect. Except for the fact that he's now the one on trial instead of just watching.

But they have a plan.

*Are we sure this is going to work?* Izuku asks, panic simmering in his thoughts.

{It will work. The doors are the key to leaving the mindscape. If we can get the door open then Variant can front.} Random assures him.

<Here's hoping the lock on the door isn't terribly complicated. It would be a shame if we can't get it open even after all the instruction Stephan gave us.> Chance muses.

Izuku doesn't like thinking about what could go wrong.

~Relax Zu, it'll be fine. We'll get the door open when the time comes.~ Variant cuts in before Izuku can spiral too far.

A hand squeezing his pulls him from his thoughts.

Izuku peeks his eyes open to look over at Hitoshi who sits beside him and Zawa. Hitoshi had insisted on coming along this time and Izuku agreed that he should be allowed to attend the court session.

As of now Izuku couldn't be more grateful for his brother's presence.

"You need to breathe Izu. You're going to be fine." Hitoshi tells him in a voice just for them.

Izuku tries his best to believe in what both Toshi and the other alters are saying.

But it's so hard. It's so difficult to not be afraid all the time. Not when there are so many things that could do him harm. He just wants to hide away from it all.

<We can't hide forever Zu. Eventually we have to learn to support ourselves again.> Chance tells him.

*I know that. But that doesn't make it any easier to not be afraid.* Izuku argues.

~That's what I'm here for. To keep you safe. So try to have some faith in my ability to do so.~ Variant says.

Izuku takes a deep shuddering breath, causing Zawa's arms around him to rise then fall, drawing the man's attention.

"You okay there Izuku? That was a pretty big sigh." Dad says to him.

"I'm okay. As okay as I can be at least." Izuku assures him.

Dad smiles softly at him, "Good, let me know if that changes okay?"

Izuku nods an affirmative before laying his head back down on the man's shoulder and closing his eyes.

Maybe if he keeps them closed he can pretend to be somewhere else for a bit longer.

 

                                                                                                    

 

There's a firm knock on the door that pulls Izuku from his half-disassociated state.

Instead of looking up to see who is entering the room, Izuku turns to completely burry himself in Zawa's chest.

"What can we do for you officer?" Nedzu's voice can be heard asking.

"The court session will be starting soon. I have been sent to escort the defendant to the court room." A deep voice answers.

Izuku stiffens, tightening his grip on Zawa's suit jacket.

"Of course. Izuku-kun is sitting right over there with his chaperone, Aizawa Shouta." Masa tells the man.

 

"Izuku," Dad whispers in his ear, "I need you to sit up now."

Izuku firmly shakes his head.

"Come on Izuku, don't make this difficult. You said you'd be okay." Dad tries again.

<And we will be okay. You gotta sit up Zu.> Chance urges.

~The sooner we get the cuffs on the sooner I can start picking the lock. Remember we have a plan this time.~ Variant adds.

With that reminder, Izuku reluctantly sits up, whining into Zawa's shoulder, earning him a hand combing through his hair briefly.

When Izuku is sat up, he finds himself facing a man with what looks to be a bear mutation quirk. He's large, but somehow not overbearing. Two round ears stick up out of his brown hair. His teeth are sharp when he smiles, but his eyes are soft.

"Hello, my name is Kuma Kodiakku, I'm the officer that will be escorting you to the court house and keeping watch over you. It's nice to meet you Aitsuchi-kun. You can just call me Kuma" The man greets him.

Despite his size, Izuku doesn't find himself afraid of the man.

"H-hello Kuma-san." Izuku stutters out.

{He's like a giant teddy bear!} Random says in awe, {I bet he would give great cuddles!} 

Izuku has to suppress a giggle at that observation, he can feel Hitoshi eyeing him for it, somehow knowing what's going on inside his head.

"I do need to put these on for me please." Kuma-san requests, holding up the quirk suppressant cuffs, "They're not too uncomfortable, so long as I don't put them on too tight. You be sure to let me know if I do okay?"

Izuku nods hesitantly, "O-okay. I w-will." Izuku agrees in a soft voice.

Slowly, Izuku reaches out his shaky hands to give the man access to his wrists.

Gently, Kuma-san fastens the cuffs around his wrists and once they are on the effects are immediate.

They can all hear the audible clack of the lock on Variant's door sliding into place.

~Well then, time to put what we learned to the test!~ Variant cheers, sounding much too excited for the circumstances.

{Just leave the lock to us Zu. You focus on what's going on out there.} Random instructs.

~What do you mean 'us'? You're not doing a thing given you don't have any hands!~ He mocks.

{I bet I could pick that lock faster than you. I was there at the lesson too you know!} Random snaps back.

<Enough you two. Now is not the time.> Chance chides.

"Izuku, you there kiddo?" Dad's voice cuts in.

Izuku startles a bit, attention snapping to focus on his dad. "I'm here." Izuku tells him.

"It's time to walk to the court room. So you need to get up now." Dad instructs.

Oh, is it really time to go already?

Izuku doesn't say anything as he lets Zawa guide him off of his lap. Once on the floor Izuku latches onto the man's hand with a death grip.

"Is it okay if I hold his hand?" Zawa asks Kuma-san.

Kuma-san nods, "You are his chaperone, whatever you need to do to keep him calm is fine, within reason." He answers.

Zawa gives him a grateful smile, adjusting his hand in Izuku's tight grip.

 

With his dad beside him, Izuku lets himself be led down the hall to the court room.

---

There weren't nearly as many people in the court room as there were at Bakugo's trial. And for that, Izuku is grateful. Zawa had said there would be less people because this trial wasn't open to the public for attendance. Anyone who is here is a licensed professional with a reason to be here. This is a landmark case after all.

Izuku is lead to the left side of the court room and is instructed to sit down behind the table. Kuma-san stands to his right and Zawa sits on his left. Izuku can feel the eyes on him and he hates it. He presses himself into Zawa's side a bit more. Zawa squeezes his hand but doesn't put his arm around Izuku like he would at home. Izuku mourns the loss of the comforting weight.

A few minutes pass and the others join them on their side of the court room. Izuku is given a few encouraging smiles as they pass him, but it does little to calm his nerves.

*How much progress have you made Variant?* Izuku asks.

~Not much, this is one hefty lock.~ Variant admits, ~I'll get it eventually, but it's going to take some time. You'll have to keep your cool until then. Sorry Zu.~

Izuku sighs shakily the peeks up at Zawa. He has his dad beside him, he should be fine for now.

---

Izuku tried his best to pay attention once the trial had started. But he was finding it very difficult to focus on the words being spoken. He knows that both Fox and Inui were called up to speak about his mental state and trauma. Honestly, that's not something he really wants to listen to in the first place. So he just chose to tune it all out.

<If you're not going to pay attention then I will at least. Some of this might be important to know for later.> Chance tells him.

Izuku doesn't answer, simply giving off a vague feeling of acknowledgment. It's enough of a response for Chance at least.

---

"The defense would like to call Aizawa Shouta to the stands as a witness." Nedzu tells the court.

Izuku's body goes cold.

Zawa is leaving him? But Variant hasn't unlocked the door yet. Zawa can't leave. That means Izuku is going to be called up next. That's what Nedzu told him was the plan.

~I'm almost there Izuku. Just hang on a little bit longer. You can do it.~ Variant tries assuring.

But Izuku isn't the one that keeps them safe. Variant and Zawa are the ones that keep them safe. What could he possibly do?

<You just need to stay where you are. You don't need to do anything. Just sit there and focus on your breathing. Variant is almost done.> Chance instructs calmly.

Sit and breathe, sit and breathe. Izuku can do that. Right?

---

Shouta feels Izuku's body go rigid as soon as he is called to the stands. This was the part he was afraid of. Will Izuku be able to keep calm while Shouta is up at the stands? Shouta looks down at Izuku. The kid's eyes have that vacant look they get when he's talking to the other alters. He's not entirely present, but Shouta knows that's been the case the entire session.

Shouta looks up and catches the judge's eye. The man nods, effectively giving him a minute to make sure Izuku is okay.

He kneels down in front of Izuku. "Izuku. I'm going to go up now. You can just sit here okay?" he says softly.

Izuku startles, blinking a few times before settling his full attention on Shouta.

"You're coming back right?" Izuku asks quietly.

Shouta nods, "I'll be back in a few minutes. You'll be able to see me the whole time too. You just need to sit here by yourself for a bit. Can you do that for me?"

Izuku nods slowly, "I-I think so." He answers.

Shouta squeezes his hand reassuringly, "Good boy, I'll be right back."

Then, Shouta stands and walks away.

---

 

“Please state your name for the record.” Nedzu instructs once Shouta is seated.

“Aizawa Shouta, pro hero Eraserhead.” Shouta responds with evenly. He watches all the confused faces appear upon hearing the unfamiliar hero name.

“And what is your relationship to the defendant?” Nedzu then asks.

“I am Izuku’s appointed chaperone and his adoptive father. I was also the one to first make contact with Izuku after the initial incident and his psychotic break.” There are whispers around the court room.

“I see. Can you tell us what happened during that initial meeting with Aitsuchi-kun?” Nedzu requests.

As if Shouta could ever forget what happened that day.

“I can.” Shouta replies, “I was called in to help handle the incident. After I arrived it was decided that I would be the one to approach him in the classroom with Hawks as my backup. When I entered the classroom there were still students inside and the body of the teacher he had killed. Hawks helped evacuate the students while I continued to talk to Izuku. I talked him down and managed to disarm him. He told me he was making the hurting stop and didn’t seem to understand the fact that I wanted to help him. Eventually I convinced him to let me carry him out. From there I took him to the waiting ambulance and accompanied him as he was taken to Hero’s Retreat. Once admitted he was treated there for six weeks.”

“Defense would like to present Aitsuchi-kun’s admission and discharge paperwork to support this.” Nedzu speaks up, handing over the paperwork to the judge.

“Now that Aitsuchi has been discharged and sent home, would you say that was the correct decision? Is it safe to have him at home?” Nedzu asks.

Shouta glances briefly it Izuku, but Izuku's looking down at his hands, shoulders tense. Probably sensing his gaze, Izuku looks up, and Shouta catches the quick flicker in his eyes from emerald green to toxic green, then back.

What is he up to?

---

 

Chance does his best to split his focus between Variant picking the lock and what Izuku is hearing and seeing outside the mindscape.

Right now Sho-san is being questioned at the stands but the questions seem fairly standard.

Suddenly, there's a near silent click and Variant's door swings open.

Finally.

"I got it!" Variant cheers, "I'm coming Zu." He announces, then bounds through the door.

Moments later, Izuku is joining Chance and Random in the mindscape.

Chance pulls Izuku into a hug, "You did good Zu. Now we can let Variant handle it." He says to him. Random comes to rub up against Izuku's legs, purring.

Izuku shakes his head. "I still need to be the one to answer the questions. If Variant talks like he did it and was aware of his actions then it's going to send the wrong message." He explains, "So once we get up there I'll have to switch back."

Chance hates that he's right. He hates it.

~So I only get to stay here till we get called to the stands?~ Variant asks from the front.

"Unfortunately Izuku is correct. You'll have to switch back and let Izuku answer the questions." Chance agrees.

Variant sighs, ~This feels a little pointless then.~ he complains.

"It's not pointless. Now we know that you can pick the lock and get past someone trying to suppress you. That said, how do you feel?" Chance asks.

~A little off kilter, but it's nothing drastic. My vision is a bit spotty at times. I can feel it fighting to pull me back~ Variant explains.

"What about your quirk?" Chance then questions.

~Considering I don't really have a grasp on using it to begin with, I couldn't tell you.~ Variant admits.

"Then that's something we are going to have to work on then." Chance replies.

~And how do you plan to do that. They barely trust me to front as it is.~ Variant demands.

"That's not true, you've gained a lot of their trust, at least at home." Izuku argues. "We'll just have to wait and see if the chance comes up."

Chance nods, "He's right. For now we focus on keeping their trust. We can also try using your quirk in here to get a feel for it." He suggests.

~I like that idea. It's worth trying.~ Variant relents. ~Eraser just gave me a weird look when we made eye contact. I think he's noticed I'm fronting.~

"It should be fine, so long as Izuku is still the one fronting when we are questioned then I don't see the issue. They never said you couldn't front at all, they only said that Izuku had to front when we are at the stands. So technically we have done nothing wrong." Chance muses.

~If you say so. I just don't want to get in trouble again for just doing my job.~ Variant says, sounding skeptical.

"Last time you got in trouble for attacking Bakugo, not for fronting in general." Chance reminds him.

~But I wasn't the one who lunged over the wall! That was someone else!~ Variant exclaims.

"And we told them that, but you still took control with aggressive intent. They don't like that." Chance elaborates.

~They're just scared of me. Which I guess I've given them plenty of reason to be.~ Variant says, sounding a mixture of frustrated and proud.

"You have. But it better lets you do your job. Don't let it beat you up inside. Just keep doing your best." Chance soothes.

~Sure sure, whatever you say. Eraser is coming back. Gotta focus.~ Variant tells him.

"Alright, I'll stop distracting you." Chance replies with a smile, making Izuku giggle a bit.

---

 

Shouta forces his attention back to Nedzu, who still awaits an answer, “I do think it was the correct decision. He has made a tremendous amount of progress since his psychotic break and any further progress required him to be removed from the hospital setting and back to something more normal. He is doing well. He still has episodes, meltdowns and panic attacks; but we have systems and methods established to handle them and they work.”

“Defense submits Aitsuchi’s treatment plan and crisis plan to support this.” Nedzu says, once again handing the documents over. “And there are no further questions your honor.” he finishes

“Prosecution are there any questions?” The judge asks.

“No sir, there are not.” The prosecutor answers.

Upon hearing that, Shouta stands and makes his way back over to the bench were he and Izuku were sitting. Izuku looks up and smiles at him, eyes flickering yet again.

"You okay kid?" Shouta asks, now unsure of who is even fronting.

A silent nod is all he gets.

---

"Prosecution would like to call Aitsuchi Izuku to the stand." The woman's voice rings out.

Surprisingly, Izuku doesn't stiffen beside him. He instead just sits up straight and watches as the bailiffs make their way over to them.

Shouta has to hold back from glaring at the crowd as the whispers and chatter in the room rise. This isn't a show, they shouldn't be action like it is one.

Shouta gives Izuku's hand one final squeeze before letting go so his son can be led up to the stand by the bailiffs, one of which is Kuma-san. The squeeze he received back wasn't the gentle flex of fingers that he usually gets and the hesitancy to let go. It was a firm grip on his hand before letting go first.

Immediately Shouta's suspicions are raised.

He watches as the kid walks between the two bailiffs. His posture is an odd mix of slumped but alert, stiff but smooth. Shouta watches a look of confusion and concern form on Naomasa's face as their son walks past. Nedzu's ever present smile sharpens to something dangerous. Fox looks contemplative and surprised. Stephan looks far too pleased with himself.

What is going on?

 

Then, his son sits on the bench and faces the court room. All it takes is one glimpse of the boy's eyes.

That's not Izuku.

That is Variant.

 

However, no sooner than everyone familiar with the boy registers that Variant is the one now fronting, his eyes flicker back to emerald green and hesitancy bleeds in to his form. Izuku has returned to fronting sooner than Shouta can comprehend what's happening.

It seems Izuku has accepted that he has to be the one to answer the questions. That's good, or they would have been in trouble.

---

Izuku tries his best to stamp down his panic as he sits looking out at the rest of the court room. There's so many people. Too many people. He hates it. He hates this woman for calling him up.

<Just focus on answering the questions, ignore everyone else. You can do this Zu.> Chance says.

 

"Please state your name for the record." The woman instructs.

"A-Aitsuchi Izuku" Izuku states.

"Thank you. Aitsuchi-kun can you please tell the court the events leading up to and during the Aldera Shooting." She instructs.

Izuku gives a shaky nod. "I was being bullied and hurt at school a lot and it was getting to be too much. That's when I started hearing the voice. He would tell me things to help me better protect myself or avoid confrontation.

"Then one day he said he could make the hurting stop. I didn't know what he was going to do, just that it meant I would stop being in pain. So I let him do it, anything to stop the hurting.

"He was the one who told me to take the gun and get the knife, it was his idea so I went along with it. I thought that since it meant the hurting would stop there must be a good reason.

"The day of the shooting was when he took control. My head was all fuzzy and floaty as we walked into the building. Then, as he pulled the gun out, I wasn't the one doing things anymore. All I could do was watch as he shot people and cut people. It wasn't what I had wanted to happen. But if they were gone then they couldn't hurt me. He said that if they can get away with hurting me all the time then I should be able to get away with hurting them. It was only fair and that was all we'd ever known. To us it made sense. We understand now that's not how it works.

"When I was back in control I was seated on the floor in the classroom, covered in blood. I wanted to shoot myself too, but the voice wouldn't let me. Not long after Eraserhead showed up and saved us." Izuku finally concludes.

The court room is silent as everyone listens to the unsettling tale. Even the prosecutor looks a bit shaken at what she has heard.

"To clarify, leading up to the shooting, you did not know that was the solution this 'voice' was intended to use?" She clarifies.

Izuku shakes his head, "I didn't know, or I would have tried to stop him. Killing is wrong, even if they hurt me." Izuku answers.

"And this voice, do we know where it came from?" she asks.

Izuku nods, "His name is Variant, and he's one of the alters inside my head. He keeps me safe." He tells her.

"And how does he keep you safe now, is he violent still?" She presses.

"Variant is learning that not every threat needs to be met with violence, that here are other ways to defend ourselves. Inui-san is helping teach him that." Izuku explains.

"If you knew killing was wrong, then why didn't Variant? Isn't he a part of you?" comes the question.

"The way he explained it was that he learned from me experiences. And in my experience, people would hurt me and then not get punished. So from his perspective, it would make sense that the same would go for if we did it. And since I didn't know what he planned to do, I had no chance to tell him it was wrong and shouldn't be done." Izuku elaborates.

The woman thinks to herself for a second then says, "There are no more questions your honor."

 

Izuku breathes a sigh of relief. He then stands and lets Kuma-san guide him back to where he was sitting with Zawa.

---

 

Waiting in their recess room was hell. As if the stress of being in the court room wasn’t enough, they get to sit there in suspense while the jury comes to a verdict.

Izuku sits curled into Zawa’s side with Hitoshi leaning against him on his other. It’s comfortable, it's safe, it’s probably the best he’s going to get until they are called back in hear the official verdict.

Everyone else just sits in comfortable silence, entertaining themself in whatever way suits them. Izuku can’t quite see what manga Stephan is reading and he’s too comfortable where he is to sit up and ask. He content to just watch Hitoshi play some random game on his phone that Izuku doesn’t really understand what’s happening. But that's okay. Izuku doesn't really feel like that level of thinking right now.

<You did a great job Zu. I'm proud of you.> Chance tells him.

~You did excellently, couldn't have done it better myself.~ Variant agrees.

Izuku can't help the smile that crosses his face, *Thanks guys. It was terrifying and I'm glad that it's finally over with.*

<Don't forget that we also figured out how to get Variant past suppressants.> Chance reminds him.

~Which is awesome and all, but everyone that knows us noticed and we are definitely going to get interrogated about it. And this time I don't think we can lie and half truth our way out of it.~ Variant says.

<That's true. But when has lying to them really ever worked out? It's probably for the best. And it's not like we plan to use it inappropriately. It's just when we absolutely need it.> Chance reasons.

~Do you really think they are going to just take us at our word on that one. Cause I doubt it..~ Variant argues.

<Probably not, but all we can do is give them a reason to trust us.> Chance tells him.

Variant huffs, ~Fine. You win Your Majesty.~

Izuku fails to hold back a giggle, causing a few soft looks to be sent his way.

His lightened mood is interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Nedzu calls out.

The door opens slowly to reveal Kuma-san. "I was sent to escort you all back to the court room. The jury has reached a verdict." He tells them in his deep baritone.

Izuku's anxiety picks up again and he latches a hand onto Zawa's. Zawa squeezes his hand and ushers him to stand up so that they can follow the bear man. Izuku shifts his hands so that his holding Zawa's with both of his. He's found that this is the most comfortable way to do things while having the cuffs around his wrists.

He lets Zawa pull him along in their following of Kuma-san, the others not far behind them.

Once in the court room all eyes are on him again and he tries not to shrink too much under their weight. They sit down and await the jury's arrival.

The jury arrives, the judge hammers his gavel and the court room falls silent. The judge is handed a stack of papers and the man reads them.

"The jury has come to a verdict." He begins, The ruling is that at the time of the act, the defendant, Aitsuchi Izuku, is found to have been legally insane therefore cannot be charged for his actions. However, the court rules to still place required actions and restrictions on the defendant until certain conditions are met by said defendant."

~Here we go. What's gonna happen to us now that we're not going to jail.~ Variant wonders.

Chance shushes him as the judge resumes speaking, "The defendant is hereby court ordered to continue outpatient psychiatric treatment until otherwise clear, for which the court will have to convene again. Along with this the Aitsuchi is to attend individual schooling, is to be accompanied where leaving the house by one of a cleared group of individuals, is not to be left unattended when in public, and is to complete an action of community service that must be approved by the court. For the removal of these restrictions, the court must reconvene and review Aitsuchi's progress."

The court room is silent for a moment before hushed whispers break out.

Zawa puts his arm over Izuku's shoulder and pulls him in close.

They did it, he's free.   

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

I have returned from the depths of college to write more fanfiction for you all. I got all As and made the Dean's List, so I must be doing something right. I'm very happy with how it turned out.

I started writing this, then I had to go back to my Uncle's estate and pack it all up. In addition, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has FINALLY been released. So that has been taking up most of my free time. I am a huge Zelda fan, I've played every game to date and I am obsessed.

Anyway.
As for where this fic is going, I honestly haven't made it that far yet. So I get to figure that out as best I can. I have some ideas here and there, but nothing plot central. Except for one more alter, but that's besides the point.
I'm glad I finally got this done for you all. It's been weighing on my mind for a long time. ITS DONE.

Now we can move on to cannon! Which I may or may not just continue to throw out the window. We shall see.

Well, that's all I have. Thanks for all the comments and kudos, the support is overwhelming! And I shall see you next chapter :)

Later,
Arrow >>--->

Chapter 23: Time Moves Forward

Summary:

Short time skip and events following the trial.

Notes:

Hello!
I'm back again!
Now that we've passes the trials my inspiration has come back full force. It's awesome.

Not much has happened, its really only been a week. Crazy.

Enjoy!

Edited 07/28/2025

A lot has happened since the conclusion of Izuku's trial.

Of course there was a celebratory dinner that night with everyone involved. After that there was the wait for all the paperwork to finalize and the process of determining who was cleared to be one of Izuku's chaperones. In the end Shouta, Naomasa, Stephan Nedzu, Hound Dog and even Hawks were all cleared. Later on Nedzu pulled some strings and got Hitoshi trained and cleared as well.

Which then led them to the next major step in Izuku's recovery; going out and being in large groups of people.

The first place Izuku wanted to go was to visit Rei. It seemed like a good place to start. The hospital wasn't too crowded to long as you took certain hallways. Izuku still clung to Shouta's arm as they followed behind Stephan during the entire walk to the psychiatric ward, looking every which way for potential threats.

Upon their arrival all the staff were happy to see Izuku, greeting him with smiles and waves. And Rei was delighted to see Izuku. They had been keeping in touch via email but seeing each other in person was much better. They played several rounds of Skip-bo while chatting about different things. 

As for Izuku's chosen community service, Izuku had suggested cleaning Takoba Beach. Hitoshi supported him in this idea.

The adults weren't too keen on the idea at first, but Izuku was persistent. He argued it would be good strength training for them both and after promising to be careful the adults eventually gave in, so long as they did so under proper supervision.

Now that Shouta had a bit more free time on his hands, he deemed it time to start teaching Hitoshi how to use a capture weapon. Hitoshi was ecstatic. Izuku often tagged along to watch them train, receiving his own small self defense lessons from Shouta or Stephan as well, much to Variant's delight.

Izuku was improving bit by bit. He still had episodes and bad days, but they were starting to become less frequent. He was getting more comfortable with being away from Shouta, so long as he knew where Shouta was going. Izuku tended to worry for his family's safety as well as his own. He continued to have sessions with Inui to work on things.

All in all it has been a productive last month and now everyone is shifting their focus to the UA entrance exams coming up soon.

---

Izuku sighs and curls up into a tighter ball were he sits in his nook.

Zawa isn't here, again.

With the entrance exams fast approaching, Zawa needs to go into UA to prepare for them. He also needs to prepare for the upcoming school year.

Which means he's gone into UA for the past three days. Izuku was fine the first day. He was a bit restless the second day. The third day he was anxious and pacing the house. Now it's day four and Izuku doesn't know how much longer he can keep doing this.

Masa is home with him, but he's in his office working on cases. He would be at the station, but someone has to stay home with Izuku. Izuku feels somewhat guilty about getting in the way of Masa's work.

Hitoshi is out training with Zashi-san. The recommendation exam is in less than a month and he wants to be prepared. Izuku totally understands that, but it also means he's not home to help distract Izuku from his growing anxiety.

So for now, the alters all sit in their nook with each other for company. And when all of them are anxious, distracting one another is only so effective.

Izuku startles as a paw gently swats at his hand. Izuku looks down to find Random beside him, having stopped Izuku's hand from continuing the idle scratching he hadn't even realized he was doing.

<You need to be gentle with yourself Zu.> Chance chides.

*Sorry, I didn't realize.* Izuku apologizes.

~It's fine, you didn't mean to. Why not go grab the compression sleeves Hound Dog gave us. They always help.~ Variant suggests.

<And I bet if you asked, Nao-san would gladly help you put them on.> Chance adds on.

Izuku thinks on it a moment before giving in. It would probably be a good idea to go see Masa, being alone doesn't sound too great right now.

He stands and walks over to one of the half drawers on the top row of his dresser. He opens it and picks out a pair of sleeves with green galaxy patter on them. Izuku then heads out the door and down the hall to the office.

---

Naomasa looks up at the sound of a knock at the office door.

"Papa?" comes the soft voice. "Can I come in?"

"You can come in Izuku." He permits.

The door to the office opens slowly and a head of green curls peeks in. Naomasa smiles at his son as the boy comes all the way into the room and shuts the door behind him.

"What's up Izuku? What's the matter?" he asks while looking Izuku over. Naomasa has to admit the kid looks miserable. While Izuku has been improving with being away from Shouta, he's having a hard time adjusting to him being gone all day for several days in a row. Not to mention Shouta still left for patrol some of those nights.

Izuku pads over to Naomasa and holds something out to him, "Can you put these on please?" Izuku asks.

Looking at the compression sleeves, Naomasa suppresses a sigh. So it's gotten to this point has it.

"Of course," he replies, taking them from Izuku, "Go ahead and hold out your arms."

Izuku does as instructed and holds both arms straight out in front of him. With practiced ease, Naomasa slides both sleeves onto and up Izuku's arms. He can see some of the tension drain out of Izuku at the grounding pressure. Izuku loves these things, and has thanked Inui probably every session for them.

"There, all done." Naomasa says.

Izuku just presses himself closer to Naomasa, burying himself in the man's chest.

Naomasa wraps his arms around his son and holds him close, one around his back and the other with a hand resting on the back of his head.

"I want Dad to come home. He keeps leaving." Izuku murmurs, voice sounding watery.

"I know Zuku, he'll be home tonight okay? He always comes back. You know that." Naomasa assures. Oh how he wishes his presence was enough to comfort Izuku. But he knows he's not Shouta, and that the preference is no fault of his own. Even if the fact he can't support his son as he'd like to pains him.

"I miss him. He needs to come back Papa!" Izuku whines, hands coming up to grip Naomasa's shirt. Naomasa can feel tears starting to soak his shirt.

Taking a deep breath, Naomasa lifts Izuku up and into his lap. Izuku goes willingly, easily settling himself against the man's chest.

With one arm rubbing soothing circles into Izuku's back, Naomasa picks up his phone from the desk to find Shouta's contact.

---

Shouta

Naomasa: I know you're busy but Izuku's having a meltdown. I need you home early.

Shouta: Okay I'll finish up here as soon as I can. Do I need to pick anything up.

Naomasa: No I have everything I need for dinner. We just need you here.

Shouta: I'll be home as soon as I can.

---

Putting his phone down, Naomasa returns his focus to his son in his lap.

"Izuku? Do you wanna sit on your bean bag in here with me?" he offers.

No response.

Naomasa leans down to get a better look at Izuku's face.

He's fast asleep. Good. Naomasa was worried he would spiral further. It does make him wonder if Izuku has been getting enough sleep.

Carefully Naomasa adjust his position so he can still reach his mouse and keyboard. He doesn't mind working around Izuku if that's what it takes to keep him calm.

---

---

Shouta sighs to himself as he packs up his things into the messenger bag he's used since he started teaching. He got it to replace his old one he used for school given that one was worn out. Admittedly this one is starting to wear out as well.

"Leaving already Aizawa?" Inui asks, "Usually you stay at least an hour or so later than this."

Shouta nods, "Normally I would, but Nao texted me a little bit ago and Izuku isn't having a good day, so I need to head home earlier than usual." He explains.

"He's probably having a hard time adjusting to you being gone every day. And with Hitoshi training for the entrance exam and Tsukauchi working he has a lot of time to himself to worry." Inui tells him.

"I know that, but I have little choice. I have to go back to work now. I can't stay home forever." Shouta replies.

As much as it pains him, it's just the truth. He's been absent for far too long as it is.

"You could bring him here!" a familiar voice chirps.

Unlike the rest of the faculty in the room, Shouta doesn't startle at Nedzu's sudden appearance in the middle of the room.

"Here? While I'm working?" Shouta asks.

"Certainly! He can surely find some way to entertain himself while he's here. He can stay with me, or Inui or he can follow you around. Regardless, if he's going to be my personal student here, then it's probably best he get acquainted with the school before its filled with students." Nedzu elaborates.

Shouta thinks on it a moment. "I'll ask Izuku and talk it over with Nao. It would also mean Nao can work at the station instead of from home. Stephan isn't available to watch Izuku this week or next because he's on day shift rotation."

Nedzu's smile sharpens, "Wonderful, just let me know what you all decide. He's welcome to come in with you tomorrow if that is what you want to do." He tells Shouta.

The rat then turns and walks away, off to cause chaos somewhere else.

---

When Shouta gets home he is tackled as soon as he walks through the door.

"Dad!" Izuku exclaims, wrapping himself bodily around Shouta.

"Hey Problem Child, I'm home." He replies, a soft smile on his lips. He lifts his son up into his arms and settles him on his hip. As he looks his son over he can see the red rimmed eyes and dried tear tracks. He's been crying no doubt. It makes Shouta's heart clench.

"Welcome home Sho." Naomasa greets once he's entered the kitchen. Nao pulls him into a half hug and presses a kiss to his forehead, "Thanks for coming home a bit early."

Shouta shrugs, "Its fine to do for one day." He assures him, "That said, Nedzu made an interesting offer today before I left."

"Oh? And what could he want from you this time?" Nao asks, intrigued and a bit amused.

It's only funny when you're not on the receiving end of the rat's schemes.

"He suggested I start bringing Izuku into UA with me. That way there's someone to watch him and I'm nearby if he needs me. It would also mean you can go into the station to get things done." Shouta explains.

Naomasa thinks it over while Izuku bounces a bit in Shouta's grip, "Can I really go to UA with you Dad?" Izuku asks, disbelief in his voice. He likes the idea, good.

"You'd have to take Hitoshi with you too then, so he's not here alone. Hizashi won't alway be training him. But then if he went in he'd have access to UA's facilities anyway." Naomasa points out.

"I'm sure Nedzu wouldn't mind if I brought Hitoshi as well. Knowing him, he probably will want to help Hitoshi prepare for the entrance exams anyhow." Shouta replies.

Naomasa nods, "It sounds like we have a plan then. We'll have to tell Hitoshi when he gets home. Which should be soon."

"Of course. Do you need help with dinner?" Shouta asks.

Naomasa gives him a scathing look, "No Sho, I don't. You and Izuku go find something to occupy yourselves."

Izuku giggles at Shouta's indignant look. You'd think Dad would have learned by now that Papa doesn't let him into the kitchen.

---

They informed Hitoshi of the plan when he got home an hour later.

Hitoshi thought it was a great idea. He liked that it meant his final preparations for the exam won't be dependent on Hizashi's availability during the busiest time of the year for UA staff.

Izuku was excited to finally see the school that Nedzu-sensei is so fond of and committed to. The rat had been talking about how Izuku will be spending his time with him when everyone else is in regular classes. Izuku doesn't mind that he can't go to class like Hitoshi. He's never had the best experiences with classroom settings. He's content to just do whatever Nedzu-sensei has in mind. Nedzu-sensei's schemes are always fun.

Naomasa is glad he can go into the station now. He loves being at home with Izuku, but it makes working on cases and such much more difficult when he's not there with everyone else.

Shouta is a bit miffed he didn't come up with the idea himself. But he supposes that's why Nedzu is the all knowing genius and not him. He likes the idea of having Izuku close by when something goes wrong. He is however, unsure of how Izuku and Hitoshi meeting the rest of the UA staff will play out. Aside from Hizashi, no one really knows why he was gone for so long aside from that he was working a case.

Shit...not even Nemuri. Shouta hasn't exactly been the most forthcoming with information when people have asked were he has been. For one, it's really none of their business. And two, he doesn't need Nemuri coming and storming in to meet his new sons. Knowing her she wouldn't listen when he tells her she can't come right now.

Regardless, taking the boys into UA with him is probably for the best.

---

Izuku and Hitoshi going to UA with Shouta meant that they had to be up and ready to leave with him as well.

With his new sleeping medication, Hitoshi is even less of a morning person than he already was. They're still working out exact dosages, so for now Naomasa has to physically drag him out of bed.

Izuku is always sleepy and dazed until he's taken his meds for the morning and they've actually taken effect.

Hitoshi sits at the island nursing a cup of coffee while Izuku follows Shouta around, one hand tangled in the hem of his shirt and the other rubbing tiredly at his eyes.

The two adults gently guide their sons through getting ready and packing up their things. Soon enough Shouta is carrying a clingy Izuku down to the car with a more awake Hitoshi following with his, Izuku's and Shouta's bags.

Normally Shouta takes the train and lets Naomasa have the car, but they talked it over and decided it would be best to drive Izuku to UA and avoid the over crowded morning subways. Sansa had offered to pick Naomasa up since it was along the way of his own commute.

Izuku whines at being set down into the back seat, but eventually settles for curling into Hitoshi's side instead. Hitoshi simply runs a hand through his brother's hair as Shouta gets into the front seat and starts the car. Izuku startles at the sudden noise, but then flops back down into Hitoshi.

Izuku gradually wakes up during the car ride to UA. By the time they pull into the underground staff parking lot he's sat up and looking out the window.

Once parked, Shouta turns around in his seat to address his two sons.

"Alright boys, first we're going to go see Nedzu so we can get you two your UA passes. These will give you access to everything Nedzu deems appropriate on campus. Then I will introduce you to the other faculty. After that it's really up to you what you do. You can hang out in my office or the faculty room. Or you can go find Nedzu or Inui. So long as you don't get yourselves into trouble you pretty much have free reign since there's no classes to disrupt."

Yes, he is aware of how dangerous telling them that is. But at the same time, it will also be fun to see the chaos they cause. And any damages are the rat's problem not his.

"Okay." The two boys say in unison.

Shouta nods, "Good. Now let's get going."

                                     

---

                                                              

The walk to Nedzu's office consists of a lot of gawking by the two boys. Shouta leads them down the halls with practiced familiarity. Izuku stays glued to his side the entire way, looking around. That said he doesn't seem to be as on edge as he normally is when in a new place. Shouta has a feeling it has to do with the fact that this is Nedzu's domain, and Izuku trusts Nedzu deeply.

They reach Nedzu's office and the door swings open as they arrive, Shouta not even bothering with the formality of attempting to knock on said door.

"Welcome, welcome! It's good to see you!" Nedzu's cheery voice calls out, "Come take a seat and we shall get things sorted out quickly." He instructs.

The tension Izuku held himself with for the duration of the walk dissolves as he releases Shouta's hand to sit down in one of the chairs in front of Nedzu's desk.

"Hello Nedzu-sensei!" Izuku chirps.

"Hello Izuku! How is my chaos child?" Nedzu greets.

His what? Shouta must make a face because he can hear Hitoshi snickering beside him. Shouta gives him a half hearted glare before taking his own seat.

Once everyone is settled, Nedzu produces two ID cards hanging on lanyards from his desk drawer. He sets them on the opposite edge of the desk for the boys to take.

"These will be your IDs and access cards for UA and all its facilities. You are cleared for most things on campus, but the scanner will let you know if you don't have clearance." Nedzu tells them, "Hitoshi, once you become a student here you can choose to keep this and your student ID separate of have them merged into one card. I figure that will depend on if you decide to be open about your relation to Shouta-kun.", He turns his attention to Izuku, "Izuku this will be your ID and access card for as long as you are at UA, so take good care of it."

With two enthusiastic nods the boys take their respective cards and hang the lanyards around their necks.

"Wonderful!" Nedzu chirps, "Other than that I expect you boys to be respectful of school grounds and property. And if you require any assistance or the like feel free to approach anyone on staff as you see fit. You boys have also been added to a few of the chat rooms we use around campus. You can access it through the same phone app and computer program I had you boys download for accessing the map. Any questions?"

The boys shake their heads.

"Excellent, if you find you do have any questions later on do not hesitate to ask. Now I think it's time you head to the faculty room to meet the others on staff. Shall we get going?" Nedzu suggests.

---

The four of them all make their way to the faculty office/teacher's lounge. As it happens it is just down the hall from Nedzu's office.

Nedzu and Izuku walk side by side, chatting away about a quirk Izuku had seen on the news the night before. Shouta and Hitoshi follow behind, content to just listen to Izuku's excited ramblings.

"Here we are! The faculty office." Nedzu chirps with far too much enthusiasm.

Izuku takes Shouta's hand as Nedzu opens the door.

"Good morning everyone, we have some new arrivals to introduce to you all." Nedzu announces.

With that declaration all eyes turn to them causing Izuku to squeak and hide behind Shouta. Hitoshi, while also uncomfortable, only shifts nervously in place.

---

If there's one thing that Nemuri hates, it's being kept in the dark. Unfortunately, her dear friend Shouta has a habit of doing just that. After fifteen years of friendship, she has learned to just live with it.

Then Shouta up and disappears for several months without a word.

When Nedzu had initially informed them of Shouta's absence, he told them Shouta was working on a case that required most of his time. Okay, sure, it was believable. While Shouta never misses work, he is a hero and heroes get sudden cases.

Then a month passed with no sign of Shouta, not even on patrols.  He hadn't so much as texted her about where he was. When she texted him, he told her he was fine, and that he was working a case.

There it was again, that case. What case requires his constant attention for a month? Nemuri was starting to suspect something more was happening here.

Somewhere along the way, Hizashi started training a boy named Hitoshi. They didn't see the kid too often, but sometimes she would still be around when Hizashi was with him on campus. When she asked about the kid, Hizashi told her that Shouta had asked him to train Hitoshi because he was tied up with a case.

Again, 'a case'.

Nemuri was getting sick of being in the dark.

Then, suddenly, Shouta shows up for entrance exam prep. As relieved as she was to see him, she also demanded answers.

He told her that a lot has happened and that he and Naomasa are still adjusting after finishing the cases. Whatever that's supposed to mean. It's 'cases' now?

Shouta left early yesterday, and Nemuri overheard something about an Izuku. But nothing she could build any conclusions from.

Which brings us to now.

Her madman of a boss throwing the door open and announcing there's new people they need to meet.

And there, in the doorway, is Shouta. The Hitoshi kid Hizashi has been training stands nervously beside her friend. But behind him...

Behind Shouta, clutching his hand like a lifeline, is a shaking green-eyed boy that is looking at all of them with fear.

And who might this be?

 

Shouta guides both boys further into the staff room so the door can be closed. All attention in the room is focused on them.

"These are two students of mine and-"

"They are my sons. Hitoshi and Izuku." Shouta cuts Nedzu off (few can get away with such an act so casually).

The purple one, Hitoshi, gives them a casual wave. Izuku nervously peeks out from behind Shouta. Nemuri catches frantic squeezes of Shouta's hand which has her friend turning and kneeling down in front of the boy.

She just barely catches what he says to him, "You're okay. They're all heroes remember? And me, Hitoshi and Nedzu are all here to keep you safe. They just need to meet you then I can show you my office. It's a great place to hide. And I bet if you want you could meet with them one on one to talk about their quirks later okay? But only when you're ready. " Shouta says in a soft voice, softer than Nemuri has ever heard.

And oh, oh, does that answer so many questions.

Her dear friend Shouta found a family to take care of.

 

The terrified boy nods his head, sniffling a bit before letting Shouta stand up.

"H-Hello. I-I'm Izuku." He stutters out.

Nemuri smiles, "It's nice to meet you Izuku. And you too Hitoshi." She greets them.

Izuku lights up upon seeing her, "You're Midnight! Your quirk, Somnambulist, is so cool!" he chirps out.

Nemuri beams, "That's me! Do you like quirks?" she asks him.

"I do! Nedzu-sensei helps me with my quirk analysis notebooks all the time." He answers, some nervousness dissolving at what Nemuri would assume is a safe topic.

"Quirk analysis?" Power Loader questions, "Are you the one who wrote those analysis papers Nedzu passed out to everyone?"

Izuku startles at his voice but recovers, "Yep! Those were my notes! Did you like them?" he asks.

Shocked for a brief moment, all of the faculty voice their approval of the notes. Nemuri can see Izuku starting to vibrate in what she thinks is excitement.

"Izuku is an excellent quirk analyst." Nedzu chimes in, "You all can look forward to a session with him some time in the future." He tells them.

Oh boy, Nedzu has a protege.

They're all doomed.

At least he's cute.

---

The others in the room eventually return their focus to what they were doing before the arrival of Shouta and his sons (and isn't that a crazy thing to say).

Nemuri does not. She instead makes her way over to were Shouta is settling the two boys on his favorite couch.

"So this is where you've been Shouta? Acquiring children?" Nemuri demands.

Shouta sighs, "In my defense Hitoshi was Nao's fault not mine."

"Hey!" Hitoshi protests.

Nemuri giggles, "I'm not sure how much of a defense that is, given how little you've managed to communicate over the past few months."

Shouta frowns, "I was a bit tied up Nemuri. It's complicated, I'll have to tell you later." He explains.

Nemuri relents, "Fine, fine. So you have sons now? Green and purple?"

"Yes."

"Is green always so scared?" She then asks.

Shouta huffs, "That was calm and collected compared to when I first met him."

Nemuri isn't sure what to do with the information, "Okay. And you brought him here why?"

"Because he can't be left at home alone and doesn't do well away from me for long periods of time. That and Nao needed to go back to working at the station." Shouta explains quickly.

"I see." Nemuri turns her attention to the two boys on the couch, "Hello boys, it's nice to meet you. I'm Kayama Nemuri, but you can just call me Auntie Nem." She says to them.

Izuku and Hitoshi look at her before Izuku speaks, "Auntie? Why?"

"Because I've been friends with your dad here for a long time, so I get to be the aunt!"

Hitoshi shrugs, "If you say so."

Izuku smiles, "Okay Auntie Nem."

Nemuri coos, "Aren't you just the cutest."

Izuku blushes a little.

"If you get to be the aunt I want to be the uncle!" A new voice declares loudly.

Hitoshi and Shouta both sigh heavily. Nemuri suppresses a snort.

"Zashi you kinda missed the boat on that one." Hitoshi tells the blond.

Hizashi pouts, "Aw, don't say that little listener! It's never too late to find family!" he cheers.

Shouta face palms, "You're ridiculous."

"Thanks Sho! Now then, from now on you boys can call my Uncle Zashi!"

"Sure Uncle Zashi." Izuku replies.

"Fine." Hitoshi concedes.

"AWESOME!" Hizashi cheers, a bit of quirk mixed in.

Shouta flashes his quirk while giving Hizashi a death glare. "Enough." He growls.

Hizashi holds his hands up in surrender, pleading with his eyes to have his voice back.

Izuku tugs on Shouta's sleeve.

Shouta turns from Hizashi and kneels down, "What's up kiddo?"

"C-can we go to y-your office n-now?" comes the stuttered question.

Shouta nods, "Sure Problem Child, grab your stuff. You coming Hitoshi?" he asks.

Hitoshi nods, "Don't leave me with Zashi. Please."

"Hey! You enjoy my company and you know it." Hizashi protests.

"Not when you're this hyper I don't. It's too early for loud blonds." Hitoshi replies.

Nemuri laughs while Hizashi crosses his arms over his chest and pouts.

"I like you." Nemuri praises, "I think we can get along nicely. And we both have purple hair! It was meant to be!"

"It's nowhere near the same shade." Shouta argues.

"Shut up Sho, it's purple." Nemuri all but whines.

"Yeah Dad, it's purple." Hitoshi echoes.

Shouta groans, "We're leaving before you all give me head ache." He declares, guiding Izuku to the door with Hitoshi following.

"Bye!" Nemuri calls.

"See you later listeners!" Hizashi says with finger guns.

"My Auntie Nem! By Uncle Zashi!" Izuku replies back, then the door shuts behind him.

 

Nemuri and Hizashi share a look. This is going to be fun.

---

Nedzu sighs as he finishes reading over the latest email from the HPSC president.

With Takami having almost finished his teaching certification and license, Nedzu was going through and taking care of the last of what needed to be done to officially hire him.

Unfortunately, the Commission is putting up a pretty big fight over this. Nedzu proposed that Takami work for him as a teacher but still take assignments from the Commission. Of course his initial offer was immediately rejected. But Nedzu was undeterred. He has enough on the Commission to make a persuasive argument.

There was a lot of back and forth over the finer details of the agreement. Most of it was working in Nedzu's favor. Except for one condition they won't budge on.

If Nedzu hires Hawks, he must also hire All Might.

Now, Nedzu isn't stupid, he knows full well why they would want to force All Might into UA. In fact, All Might himself has approached Nedzu with the request. Nedzu wasn't overfly fond of the idea to begin with, but after what happened between Izuku and All Might, he told Toshinori no.

And from the looks of it, the man has decided to get the HPSC involved. And given the fact he is the Number One Hero, it goes without saying that the Commission would readily oblige him.

All Might doesn't have a teaching license nor any teaching experience. The man has proven less than prepared to properly address today's youth. Even if it's just one occasion that fully demonstrated this, after extensive discussion with Toshinori Nedzu has determined it wasn't just a moment of weakness. That said, he can easily use his lack of a license as justification for not letting him teach the hero course by himself. Nedzu can still give that position to Takami and have Toshinori merely assist him.

And then there's the matter of the man's quirk. One for All is a troublesome thing with an even more troublesome legacy. Given the so called nemesis that comes with inheriting the quirk, Nedzu isn't all to keen about one of his students receiving said quirk. But at the same time, it would be safest for that person were they one of his students. They would have all the connections and resources that come with being under Nedzu's care.

It proposes quite the predicament. One that Nedzu has been trying to solve for weeks now.

That said he's most concerned about Izuku once again coming into contact with All Might. It's quite clear that the events that transpired between them have traumatized Izuku somewhat and Nedzu doesn't want to risk reversing any of the progress they have made with Izuku's mental health. 

So ultimately, Nedzu will have to discuss it with Izuku before he makes any final decisions.

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

It took some work, but I have a ton more planned for this fic! I'm excited!
Even better, it's summer so I actually have time to write.

I hope we all like the developments, let me know what you think!

Later
>---> Arrow

Chapter 24: Genius Collides

Summary:

Cleaning the beach leads to an interesting discovery. It gets out of control from there.

Notes:

Hello! I'm back! Third week in a row, woooo!
I'm trying to make up for lost time here. Which I'm sure you all don't mind right?

I had an absolute blast with this chapter. I kinda just let my imagination run wild with this one. I'm super excited to see what you guys think of it.

Let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

edited 07/29/2025

 

Cleaning Takoba Beach ended up being a lot more complicated than Izuku expected. Which in hindsight, is pretty dumb on his part. He suspects these complications are why the adults were so against the project to begin with. Why they couldn't just explain that reasoning is beyond Izuku.

The biggest problem was where they were going to dispose of all the trash, which wasn't just normal house hold waste, but scrap metal and other dangerous items. Turns out having a father who is on the force made things much easier. That, and one they submitted it as Izuku's chosen community service project, they were given a few special permissions that actually made the whole endeavor possible.

That didn't mean it was easy by any means. The place was one big safety hazard with a huge learning curve when it came to navigating the mountains of trash. Hitoshi being the only one of the two with any muscle mass also complicated things.

They decided that Hitoshi would handle most of the heavy lifting until Izuku got stronger. Izuku would sort through all the tiny items that needed to be put in bags. All of it was loaded up into a truck that Naomasa borrowed from his family that lives out in the country. Family that Izuku and Hitoshi have yet to meet.

Distant family aside, things were going decently well. With each passing week it was becoming more and more apparent how long this was going to take. Even so they were determined to get it done. How long that determination would last is another story.

---

---

Izuku was staring at some questionable materials he found when it happened.

"Don't touch that. It's hazardous waste! You need a special kit to dispose of it properly." A voice declares rather loudly.

Izuku yelps at the new arrival, stumbling back and landing in the sand.

~Who the hell?~ Variant demands. ~Want me to handle this Zu?~

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!" The girl exclaims, "Here let me help you up." She offers, reaching down for Izuku's arm.

Izuku flinches away, "P-Please don't t-touch m-me." He stutters out.

The girl freezes, "Uh, okay. I won't touch you then." She says hesitantly. "Just be careful when placing your hands to push yourself up, tons of sharp objects like to bury themselves in the sand." she tells him.

<I don't think she means any harm. Let Izuku take care of this one. He needs to learn.> Chance tells Variant.

Izuku looks down at where he was going to place his hands, and sure enough, a piece of shrapnel was sticking menacingly up out of the sand. He blinks, then puts his hands somewhere else.

"Thanks for the warning. I was a bit too startled to think about that." Izuku admits.

{She scared all of us! Even Variant.} Random adds.

~What the hell is that supposed to mean cat?~ Variant snaps.

<Enough you two.> Chance interjects.

"No problem!" the girl exclaims, making Izuku jump again.

The girl's smile dims, "You're a jumpy one aren't you?" she says teasingly.

"Y-Yeah. I worry if things are safe." Izuku mumbles, hands pulling at each other.

<And there's nothing wrong with that.> Chance assures.

The girl looks at him for a moment. "Well I won't hurt you. Everything else here might, but I don't plan to." She tells him.

Izuku's eyes widen a bit as he looks around the beach. She's not wrong. Why hasn't he thought about the risks before? Is it really okay to-

"Izuku? Who are you talking to?" Toshi's voice calls out, dragging him from his spiral.

~Oh good, Hitoshi is here.~

"Toshi!" he squeaks, stumbling over to his brother who has just appeared, "I met this girl. She kept me from touching what was apparently hazardous waste." Izuku explains.

Hitoshi narrows his eyes at the girl. "Does the girl have a name?" he asks, a bit to harshly.

The girl's smile falters slightly, "Right! I'm Hatsume Mei, future CEO of Hatsume Industries! Nice to meet you!"

Izuku takes a step closer to Hitoshi at the wild waving of hands the declaration is accompanied by.

~She's going to kill someone doing that.~ Variant grumbles.

<I think that might be a bit over dramatic Variant.> Chance replies.

Hatsume? That sounds familiar.

"What are you doing here Hatsume?" Izuku asks her from his place beside Hitoshi.

"Oh! This is where I get scrap metal and spare parts for my babies." She tells him.

~Her what?~

"B-babies?" Hitoshi questions, flustered.

"Yeah! I make tons of support babies and other cool things. I'm an inventor!" Hatsume declares.

Izuku is starting to realize she's just a very emphatic person. She doesn't seem to mean any harm.

<I told you. I have an eye for these things.> Chance says.

~Sure. Forgive me for being concerned when someone appears out of thin air!~ Variant argues.

{You're just too high strung.} Random tells him.

~I'll string you up cat.~ Variant snaps.

"Like support equipment, for heroes and such?" Izuku asks, ignoring them.

"Exactly! And other cool gadgets and gizmos to help people out. I'll make anything!" Hatsume declares, throwing her hands out.

Izuku startles, but can't help but smile at her enthusiasm.

"That's so cool!" Izuku exclaims.

"Yeah, real cool." Hitoshi says flatly, sounding less than enthused.

~See? Hitoshi gets it.~

Izuku just thinks Hitoshi doesn't like having a new person suddenly appearing.

~Well neither do I.~

"So what are you guys doing? Ooo, are you guys the ones cleaning the beach?" She demands.

Izuku nods, "We are!" he chirps.

"Really? Awesome! I was wondering when I'd run into you guys!" She replies.

"Why?" Hitoshi asks.

"To ask if I can help you! Cleaning sounds like a great way to find lots of useful things for my babies. And that way I can make sure you don't throw out anything that can still be used." She tells him.

"You want to help us?" Hitoshi asks incredulously.

"I do! So can I?" She asks.

"Um, you'd have to ask our dads, they're the ones supervising us." Izuku tells her.

"Okay. Just take me to them." Hatsume agrees easily.

Hitoshi sighs, "Alright. This way then." He concedes.

"Woo!" Hatsume cheers, pumping a fist into the air.

Izuku giggles at her antics. He kinda likes her. She's so happy.

{I like her.} Random agrees.

<She has far too much energy, but seems to mean well.> Chance agrees.

 

Hitoshi leads the way as the three make their way through the mountains of trash to get to the stairs to head up to the sidewalk.

Once within their line of sight, Zawa focuses on them, "There you are. I was wondering where you two disappeared to." He says.

"Dad! We met someone new!" Izuku declares.

~Why are you so excited about that?~

"Hi Aizawa-san!" Hatsume cheers.

Izuku blinks, Hatsume knows Zawa?

"Mei." Zawa greets evenly, "Does your mother know you are here?" he asks.

"Yep! I come here all the time. She doesn't mind so long as I'm careful." Hatsume assures him.

Zawa sighs, "Alright then. I see you've met my sons." He then says.

"Wait. These two are your sons?! Then that means they're the ones I helped make babies for!" She shouts.

Izuku tenses, grabbing hold of Hitoshi's arm at the sudden increase in volume. That's going to take some getting used to.

"You mean you helped make my Persona Chords?" Hitoshi ask, slightly awed.

"I did! It was fun. Have you tried them yet? Do they work okay?" she demands.

Hitoshi nods, "They work great, I'm still figuring them out but so far I have no complaints." He tells her.

"That's awesome! You'll have to show me some time!" Hatsume insists.

"Sure. If we can." Hitoshi agrees.

~No Hitoshi, not you too.~ Variant bemoans.

<Dramatic much?>

"Awesome!" Hatsume cheers.

"Weren't you going to ask Dad something Hatusme?" Izuku reminds her.

"Oh yeah! I was!" She agrees.

Zawa looks concerned, "And what would that be?"

"I want to help clean the beach! Can I help you guys?" Hatsume asks.

Shouta thinks on it a moment. "I don't see a problem with it," he says, "But," he adds, cutting off their celebration, "I need permission from your mother first."

Hatsume deflates, "But she's back at the shop working." She whines, then she perks up again, "We could go visit the shop! We can ask her then and take some of the usable scrap to the shop for reuse." She suggests.

Shouta sighs, "Let me call her then." He concedes.

                                                                                                    

Shouta had expected a lot of things to go wrong when he and Nao agreed to let the boys clean the beach.

Lacerations, blunt force trauma, being crushed, rust poisoning, radiation poisoning, concussion, and even just sunburn. As such he had a relative plan to deal with most of these as they come.

What he was not prepared for, was for Hatsume Mei to show up at the beach and force her way into the project.

Don't get him wrong, she's a great kid, if not far too energetic and intelligent. The girl is a mechanics genius and never fails to impress Shouta with her inventions. Just like her mother.

He had been planning to introduce Hitoshi and Izuku to Mei at some point. In a controlled environment and having given Izuku plenty of warning.

Not like this.

That said, what's done is done. Now it's time for damage control.

 

Shouta pulls out his phone.

"Shouta! To what do I owe the pleasure of my guinea pig calling?" A female voice asks upon answering.

Shouta suppresses a sigh at the age old nickname,"I found your daughter at Takoba beach. My boys are cleaning it up for a project and strength training. Mei wants to help."

Hatsume Hana hums in thought, "I don't mind it. So long as you bring what's salvageable here for us to make use of. You know we're always looking for spare parts and scrap. You and Naomasa are supervising I would assume?"

"We are, Naomasa got one the trucks from his family so we also have the means to transport this stuff." Shouta tells her.

"Great. Then you can start by bringing what you already have here. I can show your boys around the place while we're at it."   

---

Hatsume Industries was a well known support company based out of Japan. It wasn't a large scale distributor however. HI focused on special orders, difficult cases and unheard of technology. It was essentially Japan's localized version of I-Island and run primarily by the Hatsume family at large.

The campus had testing grounds, supply warehouses, manufacturing facilities, research labs, general labs, a business center, a residential compound and the administrative building. That said it's surprisingly easy to navigate with several specialized entrances for employees, heroes, civilians and shipments.

Having gone to school with Hana, the current CEO and Mei's mother, Shouta is more than familiar with the campus. He's here often enough as well, as Hana is the inventor of his capture weapon and the only person he will let perform maintenance on it. He's also still one of Hana's go to people to test out equipment, hence the nickname. He'd never admit it, but he does get some enjoyment out of testing the equipment for her. Even if she's almost as crazy as Nedzu.

Shouta pulls up to the gate and pulls out his hero license to hand to the gatekeeper.

"Hey there Shouta, I didn't recognize you in the truck." The gatekeeper, Hatsume Takayuki, says with a wide grin.

"Naomasa borrowed it from the family Yuki. The boys have started a project cleaning Takoba beach." Shouta tells him.

"Boys? What are haven't you told me Shouta?" Takayuki asks with narrowed eyes.

The man is Hana's cousin, and was in general studies with Shouta in his first year.

Shouta turns around to face Izuku, "You okay if I roll down the window?" he asks.

"Is he safe?" Izuku counters.

Shouta shrugs, "He's an old friend, and definitely harmless." Aside from the physical requirements of being a security guard. The man is built, but wouldn't hurt a fly. Unless that fly tried to get into Hatsume Industries without proper clearance. Then that fly is in for it.

"Okay. Its fine then." Izuku replies.

Shouta turns back to Takayuki, who has since left the stand and is standing nearby, "I'll roll down the window." He tells the man, "These are my sons, and well, Mei."

"Hey Uncle Yuki!" Mei chirps.

The man chuckles, "Hello Mei. And hello to you two as well. The names Hatsume Takayuki, I run the hero entrance gate."

"I'm Izuku." Izuku says softly.

"Hitoshi." Hitoshi echoes.

"Nice to meet you both. Be sure to keep Shouta on his toes alright. I'm not around to anymore." Takayuki teases.

The two nod, "Don't worry, we will." Hitoshi agrees with a smirk in Shouta's direction.

Shouta rolls his eyes, "Stop corrupting my kids."

"Sure, sure. I won't keep you. Head on in." Takayuki replies.

He then climbs back into the kiosk and opens the large, probably indestructible, gate.

 

The hectic atmosphere inside is one that never gets old. Just the amount of different modes of transportation keeps you busy for a while. Cars, carts, moving platforms, hover boards, various enhanced footwear, that random guy with the jet pack Shouta always sees, you name it. A quick glance behind him shows the boys are fascinated.   

Shouta is once again stopped at the roadway entrance near the laboratories.

"State your business." The stoic woman orders.

"I'm here to see Hana, she's expecting us." Shouta tells her.

Mei pokes her head out the window, "Hi Yori-san!"

The woman's stoic mask cracks slightly, "Hello Mei." She replies, then turns to Shouta, "You're good to go. Please be mindful of your surroundings."

 

Shouta nods and continues driving around to the back of the building. Sure enough, Hana stands by one of the receiving bays, magenta hair tied up on her head.

She waves them over, "Hey Shouta! Over here."

Shouta drives over and backs the truck up close to the doors.

"Awesome. I'll get some bots to start unloading this stuff." Hana says.

Shouta helps Izuku out of the car, worried about him getting overwhelmed. Instead he has an awestruck ball of energy to contain with.

"Mom!" Mei shouts, running over and hugging the woman, "I found the beach cleaners!" she announces.

Hana chuckles before peeling her daughter off of her, "I see that. And a few friends."

"Hello Hana." Shouta greets evenly, bracing himself for what's to come.

And sure enough, Shouta gets roughly forced into a hug.

"Shouta! It's good to see you Guinea Pig! How have you been? I haven't seen you in months!" she exclaims.

Shouta does his best to extract himself from the woman. "I've been busy." He tells her.

"I see that. You have two sons now." She observes, "Hello boys, my name is Hatsume Hana. But you can just call me Hana. There's too many Hatsumes around this place." She greets.

"And you can call me Mei!" Mei chimes in.

"Hello Hana-san." Izuku says softly.

"Hello." Hitoshi echoes.

Hana's smile somehow widens, "Cute kids Shouta." She says, nudging him with her elbow.

"I'm aware." Shouta replies, lowering his smile into his capture weapon.

"Alright. Time for a tour!" Hana announces, turning on her heal and pointing forward, "Follow me!"

---

Izuku can barely contain his excitement. They're inside The Hatsume Industries! It's awesome! Sure he's still a little shaky from Mei's sudden appearance, but most of those nerves are being overshadowed by excitement and fascination.

~Not saying this is a trap, but there's countless ways you could end up hurt in a support lab of all places.~ Variant tells him.

<Oh hush, let him have his fun. You have to admit this place is really cool.> Chance says to Variant.

Variant huffs, ~Fine. It is pretty cool.~ Variant concedes.

 

Izuku still keeps himself next to Zawa as they follow Hana-san down the many hallways and corridors of the laboratory building. She points things out as she goes, with Mei chiming in, and introduces them to a few people who pass by them.

Eventually they reach Hana-san's lab proper.

"Don't mind the mess. Even though I do try to keep it as clean as possible, it's a bit difficult when this place is in constant use." Hana says to them as she leads them in.

"My lab is the next door down. I'll have to show you it after we're done here Izu-kun!" Mei says.

~'Izu-kun'? The hell?~

"O-okay." Izuku stutters out, caught off guard by the sudden nickname.

"It's okay that I call you that right? I can stop if you don't like it." Mei offers in a more subdued tone.

"N-no it's fine. I just wasn't expecting it is all." Izuku tells her, "You can definitely call me that Mei-chan." He tells her.

Mei lets out an excited squee, "Great! What about you Hito-kun?" she asks, turning her attention to Hitoshi.

"Call me whatever Mei." Hitoshi tells her, "I don't mind."

Hana clears her throat. "With that out of the way. Let me show you around the lab." She says, "Most of the equipment here you boys probably don't know what to do with, and that's fine. This door back here however," she  motions to the study metal door at the back of the room, "Is for lab testing equipment."

"Oooooo! I have a baby that needs testing!" Mei declares, "Let me go get it." And with that she bolts out of the room, door slamming shut behind her.

Hana sighs fondly, "In all my years I have yet to see someone as passionate about this field as Mei. She really is something."

"Mei said she was going to be the future CEO. Is that true?" Izuku asks hesitantly.

Hana huffs a laugh. "She's certainly determined to be. Thing is, she has to compete for that spot with every other Hatsume in her generation. That includes families that married in and may not share our last name. So she's got her work cut out for her." She explains.

"Back in high school you didn't even want to be the CEO did you Hana." Zawa says.

Hana shakes her head, "No I didn't. But I took issue with how the others were planning on running the company. And if you want something fixed you should do it yourself." She explains.

The door to the lab bursts open causing Izuku to jump and clings onto Hitoshi.

"I'm back! And I brought my baby!" Mei announces.

Izuku breathes a sighs of relief as he releases his grip on Hitoshi. Hitoshi gives him a concerned look, but says nothing.

"Great. But before we do that, I want to know who's using the Persona Chords." Hana says.

Hitoshi stiffens ever so slightly, "That would be me." He tells her.

"Excellent! How well do they work? Is the volume control okay? Any of the sliders feel stiff? Nothing clanking or catching?" Hana questions rapidly.

Hitoshi stares at her wide eyed. "Everything seems okay. I'm still figuring out how to use it but the mechanics work really well. And it's surprisingly comfortable to wear." Hitoshi tells her.

"Good to hear. Last thing I wanted was to give you a muzzle." She comments.

Hitoshi flinches.

Hana spins her attention to Izuku. "Then that means you're Nedzu's chaos child!" she declares loudly.

Izuku takes a step back. "Th-that's me. He told you about me?" he asks, nervous.

"Of course he did! Nedzu loves bragging about his new protégé. Personally I think he just enjoys terrifying people with the idea of Nedzu's second coming." Shouta snorts, "But I gotta say, your analysis is excellent. I had a blast reading some of those support gear ideas." Hanna tells him.

"Wait! Greenie is the one who did those analyses?!" Mei practically screeches.

"Y-yes?" Izuku answers, shoulders up to his ears.

"That's awesome! You gotta help me design babies some time Izu-kun! Do you have an intelligence quirk or something?"

Izuku pales.

~Shit.~

<You can tell her Zu, it'll be fine.>

"N-no. I-I'm quirkless." He admits quietly.

Mei squeals, running up to Izuku and, thankfully, stopping just short of grabbing him. "That's awesome Izu-kun! I can make so many babies for you!" she exclaims, right up in his face.

Izuku leans back a bit, "You think so?" he asks, awed. He's never had someone excited about him being quirkless.

"Of course! You're like a blank slate, a white canvas, an empty plot of land! The possibilities are endless! No draw backs I have to worry about, or mutations to work around, or abilities that have to be utilized. I can do anything!" Mei rambles excitedly.

Izuku gives her a beaming smile, "That sounds great Mei-chan!" he says, getting hyped himself.

"We're all gonna die now aren't we." Hitoshi says to the room.

Izuku and Mei look at him with simultaneous, "Maybe?" "Yes!"

Hitoshi looks at them in horror.

Hana laughs, "Now now you two, I know you're excited but let's focus on just the one experiment for today, okay?" she urges. 

"Okay!" Izuku chirps, "What baby did you bring Mei?" he asks her.

He misses the various looks he gets for adopting Mei's phrasing.

"It's a capture baby! It's nothing too original but I wanted to try making it. You throw it at something and it secures itself then wraps them in capture wire." She explains.

"So all we gotta do is throw it at something?" Izuku asks.

"Yep!" Mei confirms.

"Sounds reasonable." Hana cuts in, "To the testing room!"

---

                                                          

Izuku is excited as they all stand in the testing room, safety glasses over their eyes. There's a dummy set up in the middle of the room which is what Mei plans to throw the capture ball at.

"Ready?" Mei asks everyone, and is answered with a chorus of affirmations.

So she throws the ball.

The ball sails across the room, hitting the dummy somewhere in the chest area. A light blinks on the ball, and small openings appear for the wire to come out. Then-

Boom!

 

The instant the explosion sounds Variant takes control, the force of the blast knocking him back and onto the floor. Variant quickly scrambles himself along the floor until his back hits a wall. He curls up defensively and looks out before him.

In the clearing smoke he doesn't see family and friends. No, he sees Bakugo stalking towards him, hands popping and crackling with small explosions and a look on his face that screams murder. He must have finally come to finish the job. Just when they thought they were safe.

Variant realizes then that he doesn't have anything to defend himself with. Only his own body. As his fight or flight instincts war with each other the smoke continues to clear.

And Bakugo disappears.

Instead, crouched in front of him, is a familiar dark clad figure. Black hair, grey eyes, pale skin and- they're speaking. What are they saying? Variant can't make it out past the roaring of blood in his ears and the confused exclamations of the others in the mindscape.

"-iant. C'mon k-do. Var-i. Bre- me, breathe with me."

Breathe? Variant can't breathe. Which just sends him back into panicking.

"Tha-- -kay. --- Again."

Again? Variant tries again, listening to the deep soothing voice that is achingly familiar.

Eventually, he is breathing evenly, if a little fast. His pulse is no longer drumming in his ears and his vision has cleared mostly.

"Good job kiddo. Can you hear me?" the figure asks.

Variant nods hesitantly.

"That's good. It's just you and me in here. You and Eraser." The figure, no, Eraser tells him.

"E-E-raser?" Variant stutters out, relief flooding him.

"That's right. Can I touch you kid?" Eraser asks.

Variant thinks on it a moment. Does he want to be touched? No. But Eraser always makes things better, so...

Variant nods, and two hands take his own from where they are gripping tightly to his knees. He looks up at the now clear figure of Eraser, a concerned look on the man's face.

"You back with me Variant." Eraser asks.

"Y-yeah." Variant answers, "But- but Bakugo--"

"He isn't here. He went to jail remember. The explosion was caused by Mei's invention and triggered a flash back. That's all. It's just you and me in here. It's 4:34pm on Tuesday. We're at Hatsume Industries in Hana's lab." He tells him slowly.

Right. The lab. With Mei and Hitoshi and Hana.

"Hitoshi?" Variant asks.

Eraser's lips tilt up, "He's outside the door. The other's are giving us space until you calm down."

"Okay. Okay." Variant repeats, "Can, Can I have a hug?" he asks then.

Eraser smiles fully and reaches for him, movements telegraphed, and pulls him into a hug. Variant buries his face into his capture scarf and breathes in the scent of coffee-cats-home-safe and lets himself slump fully into Eraserhead.

He's safe. Everything is fine.

They're safe.

---

                                                                              

Mei has seen a lot of reactions to her explosions.

Some of the others are just as excited as her, mostly kids her age. Some are exasperated but have long since accepted that it's just what happens. Some try and get her to stop, unsuccessfully.

Izuku though, his reaction is like nothing Mei has ever seen.

She's seen people startled or scared by her explosions. But this...This was something trauma related and it was something serious.

Izuku stumbled back and fell onto the floor, which is typical for a first timer. But then he started shaking, his eyes glazed over, his breathing picked up and he backed himself into a wall as fast as he could, taking up a defensive position. It was clear he was utterly terrified.

But when Mei tried to go to her new friend, to help, to apologize, Hitoshi grabbed her arm. She looks back at him and he shakes his head at her, instead motioning for her to follow her mother out the door. A quick glance back at Izuku shows Aizawa-san slowly approaching and crouching down, as if he were handling a scared feral cat, not his ball of energy son. It's odd to her.

Even so, she's sure Hitoshi knows what's going on better than she does, so she follows him out. They all stand outside the room, watching Aizawa-san handle Izuku with care on the tv monitor that displays the camera feeds for the room.

Except he's not calling Izuku. He keeps calling him 'Variant' and Mei doesn't understand why.

So she asks Hitoshi, and he hesitates.

"That's- That's because..." He takes a deep breath, debating something with himself, "Izuku has been through a lot. And his mind has changed because of that. He has alternate personalities in his head, called alters. Variant is the one the shows up to protect Izuku. He's very protective of him." Hitoshi explains.

Mei doesn't quite understand, but a glance back at her mother tells her that she does and that now isn't the time to ask more questions. It's probably something Izuku doesn't want to go telling just anyone. And Mei can respect that.

 

Eventually Aizawa leads Izuku (Variant?) to the door and out of the room. The kid keeps close to his side and still trembles slightly.

"Izuku! Are you alright?" Mei asks, unable to contain her concern.

Izuku flinches back, "I- I'm not-"

"Mei." Aizawa-san cuts in calmly, "This is Variant. Variant, this is Mei. She's friends with Izuku, as I'm sure you know." He says.

Variant nods, composing himself a bit. Then he holds out a hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mei." He says, in a tone that sounds nothing like Izuku's excited and nervous stuttering. It's more formal, confident. It's then that she notices his eyes are a different shade of green, this one a toxic glow opposed to shining emerald.

Mei finds she likes whoever this is too.

She firmly takes his hand, "It's nice to meet you Variant!"

Variant smirks at her, retracting his hand.

"Are you okay kiddo?" her mother asks, "I should have warned you Mei is notorious for blowing things up."

In hind sight, she's right, they really should have.

"I'm okay now. I just have had bad experiences with explosions in the past and don't react well to them." Variant tells her.

"Well I apologize for the stress we caused. You need any thing, water or tea or the like?" Mom asks.

Variant shakes his head, "No thank you. I'm still a bit nauseous." He admits.

"Alright then, let me know if that changes." Mom replies.

They are then interrupted by Aizawa's phone ringing.

The man looks at the caller ID and winces. He answers and puts the phone to his ear.

"Hey Nao." Aizawa says, "You're home already? A bit early isn't it? Okay that's fine then. Where are we? Oh. Long story short we're at Hatsume Industries. Yeah I know, I'll explain later. We'll head home pretty soon if you want to make dinner. Alright. See you soon. Bye." He hangs up.

"Was that Papa?" Hitoshi asks.

Aizawa nods, "It was, he got home early for work and was wondering where we disappeared to. Normally we're home by this time."

"Are you going to head out then?" Mom asks, "We can talk later over the phone about the details of Mei helping clean the beach." She offers.

"That sounds fine. We'll be leaving then."  Aizawa agrees.

"Let us walk you out then!" Mei insists.

Mom chuckles, "Of course, don't want you getting lost." She teases.

"I'm here all the time Hana. I know where I'm going." Aizawa protests.

Mom shrugs, "Sure, but we're still going to walk you out." She insists.

Aizawa groans, but reluctantly agrees.

---

They make quick work of walking out and soon enough are back at the loading bay where Shouta parked the truck. The bed of the truck is now completely empty, the company assist bots probably having unloaded everything.

They say their good byes, Hana insisting that he bring Izuku and Hitoshi back with him at some point. Mei even manages to get a hug from Variant.

 

Shouta isn't surprised when both boys fall asleep during the drive home.    

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

I love this chapter, so so much. A first I wasn't sure what to do with this one, and then once Mei showed up it just kinda spiraled from there.

Writing Mei requires an insane amount of questions marks. It's kinda ridiculous. That said I do look forward to writing more of her. I love Mei.

The logistics behind kids cleaning the trash beach is something that has never really made total sense to me. Between the resources required to dispose of everything and the risks of dealing with a bunch of scrap metal it just seems a bit off to me.
I'm realizing its one of those plot points that only makes sense if you don't question it. I wasn't going to use it, but it fits nicely into the story so here we are. Which of course means I had to try and make sense of it since I can't leave things alone.

As for Hatsume Industries, I let my imagination run with this one. I've always liked the idea of it being some huge well know company opposed to just a company Mei plans to start in the future. It already being a well known name just puts more weight behind her declaration of being the future CEO. I hope you guys liked where I went with it all.

I have a pretty good idea of what's happening next chapter, and it's going to be big. So you all can look forward to that in the future. We shall see if my momentum keeps up. I've got a lot coming up. I start summer classes in a week so that might slow me down.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!

Later
>---> Arrow

Chapter 25: Progress And A Step Back

Summary:

A conversation, entrance exam and a situation

Notes:

Hey, what's up everyone?
I'm back from the dead with a new chapter. This one is slightly shorter than my usual standard but if i wait to put the rest it's never getting posted
So here you go, let me know what you think!
ENJOY

P.S. sorry for the lack of poem, I literally have no time to write one.

Edited 07/29/2025

Izuku isn't really sure what to think when Nedzu asks to talk privately with him in his office. Dad didn't seem to know what to make of it either, but he let Izuku follow the chimera without a fuss. They all trust Nedzu, so they're more worried about what the rat has to tell them than what Nedzu will do to them.

~It can't be that bad right? Nedzu doesn't seem all that worried.~ Variant tries to assure.

<Nedzu is never worried Variant.> Chance reminds.

The door shuts softly behind them as they enter Nedzu's office.

"Take a seat anywhere you like Izuku-kun. Make yourself comfortable." Nedzu chirps. Izuku nods silently and settles into his usual seat directly facing Nedzu's desk.

"Thank you for joining me Izuku-kun! I have something very important to discuss with you." Nedzu begins.

"With just me? Not with Dad too?" Izuku asks.

"Your father is next on the list for this discussion. But seeing as the subject matter most greatly affect you, I decided to talk it over with you first and foremost." He explains.

"Okay. What is it you want to talk about Sensei?" Izuku asks hesitantly.

"To start, I need to make you aware that I have been working with the Commission to hire Hawks as our newest Fundamental Heroics teacher." Nedzu tells him.

Izuku's eyes widen, "Really!?"

"Indeed, though I must say, working with is a bit generous of a way to describe our interactions." Izuku giggles, "But in the end they did agree to let me hire and employ him as a teacher." Nedzu continues.

Izuku tilts his head in thought, "There's a catch isn't there." He says, and it's not a question.

Nedzu nods solemnly, "There is I'm afraid. The only condition I can't get them to budge on is that if I hire Hawks, I must hire All Might as well." He tells him.

Izuku stiffens, posture straightening and eyes going wide, "A-All M-Might?" he stutters out.

~Like hell the bastard comes near us again.~

<What a horrible idea. That man should not be trusted with children.>

{Ew.}

"That is correct. However All Might doesn't have any teaching credentials nor any relevant experience to fall back on. So to be frank, he can't actually teach regardless of if they force him into our school." Nedzu adds.

Izuku's form relaxes a bit as he thinks it over. "Without the proper clearances and credentials he can't be left to run a classroom on his own. His status as a hero gives him the clearances to work with children, as ill suited as he is to it, but they don't give him the authority over a classroom." Izuku muses, "Then what do you plan to do with him Sensei?" he then asks, looks up at the principal.

"Well that depends on a few things. Most importantly, if you decide to allow me to hire him." Nedzu answers.

"Me? Allow you? I don't tell you what to do!" Izuku exclaims.

~If only.~ Variant chuckles.

<Hush.>

"Normally no, but we are both well aware of what happened that day on the rooftop. If you decide he's not to be hired as a result, then I won't hire him." Nedzu replies.

"But then that means no Hawks." Izuku points out.

Nedzu nods, "It does unfortunately. I can't push any harder without jeopardizing The Plan."

Izuku nods in understanding, giggling a bit at the reminder of their precious Plan.

"Let's say you do hire him." He begins, "What are your plans for his role at the school?" Izuku asks.

"I'm so glad you asked Izuku-kun! I plan to have him assist the other teachers. His main goal when forcing his way into our school was to teach the heroics classes. I'm sure you are aware of why, yes?" Nedzu inquires with a sharp grin.

"I am, and he's an idiot if he thinks it's safe to pass that legacy on." Izuku replies sharply.

"I concur, however there is little to be done about that, seeing as how the man doesn't often listen to reason." Nedzu agrees, "But that doesn't mean we can't start to influence him once he is within our grasp."

<Please tell me I'm not the only one noticing the 'we's and 'our's instead of the typical 'I's and 'my's> Chance questions.

~Oh I noticed, I just haven't figured out why the change. Though it's not the first time he has called it "our school" instead of "my school"~ Variant replies.

Izuku ignores them for now in favor of listening to Nedzu. "He wants a successor, but if it's going to be one of our students, he gets to play by our rules." Izuku states.

"Precisely! Very good Izuku-kun." Nedzu praises.

Izuku flushes at the praise.

"Now then, We could have him assist Hawks in teaching heroics. We both know Hawks will not take kindly to his nonsense." Nedzu suggests.

"Agreed. And it does seem like keeping him close is the best way to keep tabs on him." Izuku replies, "And you know Dad will be watching his every move, especially around his precious hero students."

Nedzu nods, "But of course, I expect nothing less of Shouta. But that still begs the question. Will you be alright Izuku?" he stresses.

Izuku hesitates. Right. This wasn't about everyone else and All Might now was it. This was about Izuku and All Might.

*Will we be alright?* Izuku asks the group.

<It might be a bit dicey at the beginning but I think we'll manage. It's not like we'd be left alone with him. And we're not going to be in his classes either given we're not a true student.> Chance reasons.

~We know his weakness if he does threaten us. And at that point it's on him for provoking someone of our mental status. We have to wear the identifier band after all.~

Izuku takes a deep breath. "I think we'll be okay Sensei. But no promises on good behavior if we feel threatened."

Nedzu grins, "Izuku, if you feel threatened by anyone while on school grounds, do as you must. Just don't tell your father I said that till it becomes necessary."

Izuku blinks, surprised, but echoes Nedzu's grin all the same.   

---

---

"Toshi! Toshi! Toshi wake up!" Izuku shouts from where his chin is tucked over his hands that grip Hitoshi's bedrail. The rest of Izuku is just dangling from the upper bunk as a result of his lack of height.

Hitoshi groans but otherwise doesn't react. He remains buried under his weighted blanket. Izuku pouts. "Hitoshi you gotta get up! It's the recommendation exam today!" Izuku reminds him, as if Hitoshi could have possibly forgotten. Hitoshi's eyes snap open. "Tha' 'day?" Hitoshi asks. Well, tries to.

"Yes! Now get up! Up! Up! Up!" Izuku exclaims, kicking his feet in excitement and making the whole bed frame rock and shake.

"Hitoshi," A deeper voice beckons, "Don't make me wake you up myself."

Hitoshi then bolts straight up as Naomasa makes his way over and pull Izuku down from the bed. "Zuku, what have I said about hanging off the bed frame?" he asks as he sets Izuku down on the floor.

Izuku looks away sheepishly, "To not to." He mumbles. "But today is special!" He tries to insist. Naomasa smiles, "It is, but it won't be anymore if you fall and hurt yourself."

"I can handle keeping us safe just fine Tsuka." Variant argues.

"Oh I'm well aware, just humor me would you?" Naomasa urges.

Variant huffs, but doesn't protest.

Once everyone is up and dressed they all convene in living room/kitchen area.

"Everyone ready to go?" Shouta asks.

The boys nod excitedly.

"Have your backpack Zuku?" Naomasa asks, "And your sleeping bag?"

"Yep!" Izuku chirps, bouncing on his toes.

"Hitoshi, you have your athletic clothes and shoes?" Shouta questions Hitoshi.

"Yes Dad, I do." Hitoshi replies, rolling his eyes.

The two adults exchange glances then Shouta sighs, "Alright, then say goodbye to your Papa and we'll head to UA."

---

See the problem with your dad being a teacher is that you have to show up early with him since he's your ride. Izuku doesn't really see this as a problem. However Hitoshi is high on anxiety and just sitting around waiting isn't helping.

"I wanna go see Nedzu." Izuku declares.

Hitoshi shakes his head, "Nedzu-sensei is probably busy with exam preparations. I think it'd be best if we leave him alone for today." He tells Izuku.

"But he said I could watch the exams with him!" Izuku protests.

"Then you can head to the viewing room with the rest of the staff when the time comes. You can stay here for now." Hitoshi instructs.

"You just don't want me to leave you by yourself." Izuku accuses.

"While you're not wrong, my point still stands." Hitoshi half admits.

Izuku bounces in his seat on the couch, "Then what are we gonna do?" Izuku questions.

"Sit here and wait I guess?" Hitoshi suggests.

Izuku shakes his head and bounces to his feet. "I'm going to go look around. There's got to be something to do around here." Izuku declares.

Hitoshi sighs, "Fine, I'll come with you then." He concedes.

 

---

The two end up making their way to where the other examinees are gathering. That's when Izuku spots him.

"Hitoshi!" Izuku excitedly whispers, shaking his brother's arm, "It's Shoto!"

Hitoshi follows Izuku's gaze until he too sees the red and white haired boy.

"I see him. And Endeavor doesn't seem to be around at the moment either." Hitoshi mutters back.

"Let's go say hi then!" Izuku insists, dragging Hitoshi along without waiting for an answer.

~Are you sure this is a good idea?~ Variant questions.

<I'm with Variant on this one. We don't actually know Shoto, despite hearing all about him from Rei-san.> Chance replies.

*I promised Rei I would save Shoto. And that start of that plan is actually meeting him.* Izuku tells them.

Shoto looks up upon their approach. He looks at them suspiciously, seeing as everyone else seems to be avoiding the stoic young man.

"Hello Shoto! I'm Izuku!" Izuku greets right away.

Shoto startles at the informal first name address. "Do I know you?" He questions, sounding skeptical. But Izuku can pick up on the nervous caution that underlies his tone.

"Nope! But I know you." Izuku declares, making Hitoshi facepalm.

"Oh? And how's that? My father I assume?" He says bitterly,  "If you're here for the recommendation exam then you must be legacy kids." He accuses.

"Actually..." Izuku trails off, stepping into Shoto's space to speak softly, "I'm friends with your mother, Rei." He tells him.

Shoto lets out a faint gasp and turns to fully face Izuku "You know my mother?" he asks urgently. There's clear desperation in his eyes.

"I do. It's a long story but we spent time in the hospital together. That's where she told me about you. And how you probably need a friend or two. Among other things." Izuku replies, much more serious this time.

Shoto studies him for a long moment. "You know the truth then." He says, and it's not a question.

Izuku nods, "Does Endeavor let you have a phone?" he asks, changing the topic slightly.

Shoto tilts his head, "He does." He confirms.

"Then here, put your number in mine." Izuku instructs, handing him his own cell phone. "We can discuss this more later. This isn't really a great place to talk about it. Not to mention the exam will be starting for you guys soon."

Shoto hesitantly takes the phone and puts his number in, then hands it back.

"Perfect!" Izuku smiles, "We can more later then."

"You really think it's a good idea to get involved." Shoto asks, sounding resigned.

Izuku shrugs, "As of right now I am simply extending the offer to be your friend. I don't see anything wrong with that."

"Endeavor says friends are a waste of time." Shoto replies.

"Well Endeavor is a waste of air." Hitoshi cuts in, making Shoto huff a laugh, "I'm Hitoshi by the way. Izuku's brother and the one actually taking the exam with you."

Shoto nods, "Nice to meet you." Then turns to Izuku, "You're not taking the exam?" he asks.

"No, I'm not. But our dad teaches here and I'm Nedzu's personal student. So you'll see me around regardless once school starts." Izuku tells him.

There's an announcement over the loud speaker that makes everyone jump.

"Hey listeners! It's time for the written portion of the exam!" Present Mic's voice echoes through the room, "Please follow the signs and make your way to the auditorium!"

As the examinees start to flood that direction, Izuku quickly hugs Hitoshi.

"Good luck Toshi! You too Shoto! I'll see you after the exam."

And with that Izuku runs off in a different direction. 

---

After a bit of wandering, Izuku makes his way into the observation room. A quick look around shows all of the teachers are here and-

"Hey fledgling! Good to see you!" a familiar voice calls out in greeting.

"Keigo!" Izuku exclaims, rushing over to hug the winged man.

Keigo readily accepts the hug and scoops Izuku up and spins him around. Izuku giggles wildly as he is spun then set back on the ground.

"Careful Hawks. Last thing we need is Izuku getting hurt." Variant chides.

Keigo blinks at the transition but otherwise rolls with it, "Variant I take it?" a nod, "Aw well loosen up. It's okay to have a bit of fun sometimes." He tells the alter.

Variant sighs but Izuku takes control before he can argue any further. "Are you here to watch the exams Keigo?" Izuku asks.

"Of course I am! I have to see all my potential new students now don't I?" He replies.

"Just remember you only get so much say in picking them, Hawks." Zawa chimes in.

Keigo visibly deflates, but he recovers quickly.

"What is a child doing here? Shouldn't he be taking the exam?" A new voice questions.

Izuku freezes up at the sound of All Might's voice. He doesn't have much time to panic as Zawa makes his way over to him and takes his hand, guiding him to where they are going to be seated next to Nedzu.

"Yagi, this is Aitsuchi Izuku, Aizawa's son and my personal student. I expect you to treat him well." Nedzu tells the man.

Yagi nods, tensing under Zawa's intense glare. He hastily looks away and refocuses back on his phone.

Izuku carefully crawls into Zawa's lap, in an attempt to feel more comfortable in the room with the man who hurt him so much.

"Here you go Izuku-kun." Nedzu's voice cuts into his reeling thoughts.

Izuku takes the notebooks and writing utensils from the chimera. "What are these for?" he asks.

"Why to take notes of the applicants of course!" Nedzu replies, "Be sure to make note of everything important. I will be reviewing them for quality and the staff and I will be using them as reference when reviewing applicants and deciding who passes. So do be thorough." He instructs.

Fear of Yagi instantly forgotten in favor of this new assignment, Izuku beams, "Okay Nedzu-sensei!"

Nedzu grins right back.

---

Watching the exam was a lot of fun. Izuku took as many notes as he could. There were a lot of interesting quirks. But he had to stay focused and not go off on a quirk tangent. He soon realized that focusing on the examinees and not solely on their quirks was part of the test the Nedzu was so clearly giving him.

He knows that he was mumbling the whole time, if the startled and awed looks the staff were giving him were any indication. He just hopes no one found his muttering creepy like people at school used to.

~I'm sure Eraser and Nedzu will handle anyone who says anything negative Zu.~ Variant assures.

Izuku is sure of it too, which is part of why he wasn't overly concerned about suppressing his rambling all that much. He was far too focused on the exam and the task in front of him.

 

Now though, the exam was over and the staff now needed to review everything and decide on who passed. Izuku wasn't allowed to be there for that. Nedzu said maybe in the future, when he's been further trained but not this time.

Zawa told him to go find Hitoshi and Shoto. So he hugged Keigo and waved goodbye to everyone else then made his way out into the halls.

Sadly Shoto had been dragged out by Endeavor as soon as the exam was over. But Hitoshi was waiting by the school entrance just like the text he sent Izuku said he would be.

"Where are we going Toshi?" Izuku asks.

"Dad gave me permission to take you to a nearby cat cafe that we've been going to after training. It's not too far from here. He said either he would meet us there when he was done, or Papa would show up to take us home. Whoever finishes first." Hitoshi explains.

"Okay! Let's go!" Izuku cheers.

---

"Are we almost there Toshi?" Izuku asks again.

Hitoshi chuckles, "Almost there Izu. It'll be worth the walk I promise." He assures.

"See that sign over there, the one with the cat on it? It's right over-" his words are cut off by him being dragged roughly by the arm into a near by alleyway.

"Hitoshi!" Izuku cries.

~Let me handle this Zu!~ Variant shouts.

Izuku easily gives up control, just in time for Variant to knock away the arm reaching for him as well.

The man reaching for him takes a step back and Variant gets a proper view of what he's dealing with.

One thug, stands holding Hitoshi tightly with his arms pulled behind his back. Another stands beside him with what looks like a baseball bat. The third is closest to Variant and is the one that tried to grab him.

Variant meets Hitoshi's eyes.

"Hey what do you-" Hitoshi tries asking, only to get hit in the side of the head.

"Quiet brat." The man growls, putting a hand over Hitoshi's mouth.

Hitoshi bites down hard, drawing blood and causing the man to rear back a bit, giving him the opportunity to pull himself free.

Variant takes the distraction as his cue to advance on the one closest to him, dodging under a punch to land one of his own in the man's gut, then spin to kick him in the head.

One down.

Hitoshi seems to be handling his thug just fine, slamming his heel down to shatter what looked to be extended nails.

In his inattention, Variant almost doesn't notice the knife thrown at him. Almost.

The knife hits the wall behind him and Variant quickly picks it up. Finally, a weapon.

"You brats really think you can win?" the man that threw it demands.

"Probably. You don't seem all that skilled." Variant quips, lunging in close.

He swipes at the man's arm, cutting a long gash in his forearm. Just cause he can't kill them doesn't mean he can't do some damage, right?

He lands another quick slash to the man's chest before backing off to avoid a stab aimed for his chest.

"Careful there, you could hurt someone." Variant snarks.

The man growls, but smiles. "But you can't hurt me kid."

That's when Variant notices the cuts he made aren't bleeding anymore. In fact they're mostly gone.

"Variant!" Hitoshi cries out, running up beside him now that he's finished with his own opponent.

"He's got a regeneration quirk Hitoshi. We're gonna have to knock him out and hope he doesn't get back up."

Hitoshi nods.

At once, the two run in opposite directions to flank the man. Variant continues to cut the man in all manner of places, just to keep him distracted and maybe even wear down his stamina. It kinda works.

The man finches at the various wounds, but keeps his main focus on Hitoshi, who exchanges blows with him easily. Eventually Hitoshi grabs hold of the hand with the knife and the two grapple.

Variant takes the chance launch himself onto the man's back and slam the hilt of the knife hard into his temple.

Their opponent drops like a stone.

Its silent for a moment as they catch their breath.

"We- we did it." Hitoshi pants.

"We did. I think." Variant agrees.

"We need to call Dad and Papa." Hitoshi declares, walking over to where he had dropped his bag.

Variant follows him, searching for his own phone, "I'll call Eraser, you call Tsuka?" he suggests.

"Sounds like a plan." Hitoshi agrees, scrolling through his phone and turning his back to the alley way.

That as their mistake.

Before Variant can even react, Hitoshi is grabbed by the throat and thrown into the wall. He slumps to the ground, unconscious.

Variant spins to find the man with the regeneration quirk standing over him.

He dodges to the side at the man grabs for him.

"I'll admit you brats put up a good fight. But you didn't account for my quirk healing concussions now did you?" he snarls with a nasty grin on his face. "We were sent to get you boys and told only one of you had combat experience. Guess the boss was wrong."

Variant takes a few steps back as the man keeps getting closer.

<This was a targeted attack? By who?> Chance questions.

~Not now Chance. Kinda busy.~

Variant runs through his options as he dodges another swing.

He could run, but that would leave Hitoshi.

He could knock him out again then run with Hitoshi.

Or, he could injure the man in such a way he can't come back from it.

In other words he could kill him.

*You can't! We'll get in serious trouble!*  Izuku insists.

~It's not like I want to kill him. But I don't think I have much of a choice here Zu.~

The man lands a punch to his gut, sending him flying back into the wall. Ow.

Variant's hands shake as they reach for the knife that had fallen from his grasp. This isn't Bakugo. Can he justify killing someone that's not Bakugo?

 

[Fucking hell, just let me do it!] A new voice shouts.

Then Variant is being shoved back into the mindscape.

 

Red eyes stare the man down as he stands.

"You messed with the wrong kids you bastard." He spits.

The man pauses at the change in his voice.

That's all he needs.

Green sparks like lightning crackle around him as he body checks the man out of the way. The man chokes as the air is forced out of his lungs and stumbles back.

With inhuman speed, he dashes behind him and rips a pipe off the wall. He slams the pipe into the back of the man's knees, causing him to fall forward. Before he can recover, red sneakers land on the man's shoulders, forcing him fully onto the ground. Then with strength never before possessed, he swings the pipe down onto the back of the man's head, once, twice, three times, before he's sure the man is dead.

Satisfied, he nods, then steps off the man and looks around the alleyway. Hitoshi still sits slumped against the wall, the other two thugs are still down for the count.

*You- you killed him!* Izuku exclaims.

[We all know I didn't have a choice.] he replies easily.

~Tell that to our criminal record you just expanded. There's a reason I hesitated.~ Variant argues.

<The consequences aren't going to be pretty.> Chance agrees.

{We're dead.} Random sighs.

~It was well done though. Was that a strength enhancement quirk?~ Variant asks.

<Not now Variant.> Chance chides.

[It was, yes. An improved version of yours. Far more effective as you can see.] he answers, [And given we just gained a new quirk, can't we just blame our actions on mine and the quirk's manifestation. That's what saved us last time isn't it?]

There's a long pause.

<I guess. Sho-san will still be very disappointed in us.> Chance points out.

Izuku whines.

[Do I care?]

~Yes, yes you do. Eraser is very important to us! How dare you!~ Variant snaps.

[Alright, alright. Calm down. I was just joking. Damn.] Break attempts to reason.

<Now is not the time for jokes.> Chance corrects.

 

A groan interrupts any further scolding.

Looking down, it seems Hitoshi is coming to.

"Ugh," he groans again, "Variant? Is that you?" Hitoshi asks.

Red eyes meet purple as the new alter shakes their head.

"Not quite. The name's Break. It's nice to meet you." 

 

Notes:

How goes it my dudes?
So what did we think? A lot happened in this chapter. Shoto has finally made his appearance in the story. I'm sure many of you are excited for that. And of course we have a new alter, Break. I've been holding onto his character for a long time.
For those of you who understand, we finally had the steel pipe scene, you're welcome.
It was a bit of a cliff hanger at then end but it seemed like the best place to end it off. If I transitioned into the following scenes it would have doubled the chapter in length till the next reasonable stopping point, and who knows how long it would take me to finish that.

I don't have a lot to say right now surprisingly. I get to write an op-ed essay now that this chapter is posted. I'm currently sitting in a chair waiting for the bleach on my roots to process. I moved out of my parent house over the summer, hence my complete lack of updates despite my promises to do so. Just know that I'm working on this when I can, I don't intend to abandon it.

Have a good day/night
Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 26: Problem Children, Through and Through

Summary:

The aftermath of the fight in the alleyway. Shit gets real.

Notes:

Hello!
Its 1am on a Tuesday and I worked at 12 hour shift today! And yet somehow I had the energy to finish off the second half of this for you guys!
Look, I know where I'm going with this, even if it's a bit sketchy right now. So bear with me.
ENJOY

Hitoshi stares at the new alter, dumbfounded.

"Uh, hi?" He says dumbly.

Break chuckles, "Hey. I know this is a lot but you need to get your shit together. We're surrounded by bodies in a bloody alleyway."

That just shorts out Hitoshi's brain even further.

"I may be able to help with that." A new voice says.

Break spins and drops into a ready stance. At the other end of the alley, and on the other side of the bodies, is a man in a hoodie and jeans. He looks skinny, gangly even, and has his hood up. Though the black fabric contrasts with the pastel blue hair that peaks out the top. His most defining feature is the severed hand gripping his face. The hell?

"And you are?" Break prompts.

"Call me Shigaraki. The short explanation  is I was passing by and noticed a struggle. The long explanation is I have known you two were a target and have been trying to track you down." The raspy voice tells them.

"Target? For who?" Hitoshi asks, seeming coming to his senses.

"A dangerous boss. And not an enemy we should discuss here. After I dispose of the evidence you can come with me back to my hide out of sorts. We can get in contact with who you need to from there." Shigaraki tells him.

Break doesn't look convinced.

Then someone drops from the roof of the building, startling them all.

"I know you're skeptical but you can trust him." The figure says. And they know that voice.

"Stephan?" Hitoshi questions.

The blond directs a smile at him, "It's Bow when I'm in uniform." He corrects, which is when they notice he does in fact have the look of a vigilante about him, "You can trust Shiggy here. You have my word. And we need to go now."

Break raises an eyebrow, "And how do we know we can trust you. Seeing as you seem to be in league with him.

Bow shrugs, "I supposed you don't. But would you rather explain this to the police?" he asks.

Break hesitates, and it's Hitoshi who speaks up. "We should go with him. Stephan has done nothing but help us." He says, "And I'm not seeing another way out that doesn't end in being arrested." He then tacks on.

Break lets out a harsh breath, "Fine. Lead the way."

"Gladly." Shigaraki says, "But first." He then removes his hands from his hoodie pocket and lays an open palm on the nearest thug's shoulder. They watch in fascination and horror as the body slowly turns gray and gradually disintegrates into dust. Before either can protest, the process is repeated on the other two lying in the alley way. Soon all that is left is blood and dust.

"Now then, let's move."

---

---

By the time they reach their destination Variant has convinced Break to let him retake control. While not thrilled by the idea, Break can admit that Variant is more suited to the inevitable plotting that is about to take place. Chance would be even better, but they all agree it's best to have a protector fronting for the time being.

Hitoshi hesitates at the doorway. "A bar? Really?" he asks.

Stephan nods, "It's not open for business, just a front at the moment. You have nothing to worry about I promise." He tells him.

Hitoshi gives him a skeptical look, "About the bar maybe. There's still plenty of other things about this situation that are a cause for concern." He argues.

Stephan shrugs, "There is, yeah. But it's best to just roll with it for right now. We are trying to help you believe it or not." He assures once again.

"I hope you realize it's only the trust we have in you that's convinced us to go along with any of this." Variant tells him as Shigaraki opens the door, "You will regret it if you break that trust."

"I'll keep that in mind. Although I don't intend to." The blond replies.

 

"Kurogiri! We have guests!" Shigaraki calls out.

"I see, shall I prepare tea?" A deep voice asks.

"Do what you want." "Please." Come the conflicting responses from Shigaraki and Stephan.

Variant can't help but huff a laugh, earning him a look from Hitoshi.

Looking around the room he can see that it is fully furnished and ready to be opened. Which makes him wonder why it isn't yet.

They follow the blue haired man to the back of the room where there is a half-circle of couches and chairs surrounding a television. Hooked up to said TV is every game console you could think of.

"Take a seat. 'Giri will be around with drinks or whatever soon." Shigaraki instructs.

As if on cue, a man made of purple mist rises from a portal in floor to stand on the rug in front of the TV. He is holding a tray with a kettle and several tea cups.

Variant jumps at the arrival and Hitoshi takes a startled step back.

"Greetings, apologies for startling you." The man says, "I am Kurogiri. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Variant isn't subtle about looking the man up and down, "Hello." He says.

Hitoshi simply nods and hums in acknowledgment.

Kurogiri takes it in stride, setting the tea tray down on the coffee table, "If you require anything else you need simply ask." Then, he disappears into the floor again.

"Show off." Shigaraki mutters, making Stephan laugh. "If I had a warp quirk I'd be flaunting it too." He admits.

*A warp quirk? That's so cool!* Izuku gushes.

<Now isn't the time Zu.> Chance chides.

[Let the kid have his fun. It's better than panicking right now.] Break points out.

While Variant agrees, he doesn't want to incur Chance's wrath by voicing said opinion. 

 

“So, do you want the summary now or to just wait until your dad gets here?” Stephan asks.

“Dad is coming? You called him?” Hitoshi demands, incredulous.

“I haven’t done anything yet, but I do plan to contact him and have him meet us here. We are going to need his help to sort this out.” Stephan explains.

“Just Eraser? Not Tsuka?” Variant asks.

Stephan nods, “At least one of them should have plausible deniability and Eraser is more of the morally gray type.”

“If anything Papa would be the better choice for deniability.” Hitoshi tells him, “People seem to think that just because he came detect lies, it means he doesn’t tell any of his own.”

“Funny how that works.” Variant muses.

Its Shigaraki that speaks up this time, “Its not just the police and heroes we have to fool, I have people on my side that need convinced too.” He tells them, “And an underground hero bending the rules is more likely than a police detective.”

"What do you mean by people on your side?" Variant asks.

Shigaraki shifts uncomfortably. "You two know how Stephan here is a vigilante?" he asks instead of answering.

The two nod in response.

"Well I'm closer to the villain end of the spectrum, depending on who you ask." He tells them, but keeps talking before they can react further than widened eyes, "The man who took me in is a super villain, to put it simply, and expects me to inherit his empire. And really? I have little choice but to go along with it."

"But our goal is to use those resources for real change. Changes that just aren't possible when on the right side of the law." Stephan continues for him.

The two boys are silent as they think about what was said.

"I don't really care that you're a villain to be honest." Variant tells him, "We might as well be for what we've done. What matters now is that you seem to plan on helping us. And that's enough for me. For now."

Hitoshi nods, "If you've got Variant's vote then you've got mine. The real challenge will be convincing Dad."

The two wince at the reminder.

"More or less kidnapping his sons probably isn't the best first impression." Variant teases.

Shigaraki snorts, "I saved your asses and you know it." 

"I'm sure Eraser will understand once we've explained the situation. He's a reasonable man." Stephan cuts in before Variant starts a fight.

"Except when it comes to the safety of his family." Hitoshi says.

"Well it's a good thing we're protecting you then isn't it." Stephan replies.

The boys give him confused looks.

"Which brings us back to the original question. Do you want the short version now and the full one when Eraser gets here, or do you just want to wait until your dad arrives?" Stephan repeats the earlier question.

The two boys exchange glances.

"I think we'll wait till Eraser gets here." Variant answers for the two of them.

Stephan grins, "Excellent! Then I'll go get in contact with him." And with that he walks off, leaving the two boys with Shigaraki.

They both look at him.

"What?" has asks, sounding put out by the sudden attention.

"Now what?" Variant asks.

There's a long pause as Shigaraki thinks.

"Mario Kart?" 

---

---

The first thing Shouta realizes when he arrives at the location Stephan sent him is that it's a bar. Before he can get too worked up over this fact however, he notices that it looks largely abandoned. Even so, his instincts are telling him that this place is bad news.

It's only his immense trust in Stephan and his concern for his sons that convinces Shouta to enter the bar.

Whatever Shouta had expected upon entering, it wasn't the well furnished and well kept room that he walked into. Despite its outward appearance, the interior of the bar looks fully operational and ready for customers.

"Welcome." A deep voice greets, "You must be here for the master's guests. You'll find them in the lounge at the back." The source informs him. Behind the bar counter stands a tall humanoid form made out of dark smokey purple mist. He is paused from polishing the wooden bar top as he looks at Shouta with his glowing yellow eyes.

Swallowing his hesitation, Shouta nods, "Thank you. And you are?" he can't resist asking. He's going to need names if this goes south and turns into a rescue mission.

"You may call me Kurogiri."  The bartender tells him with a slight bow.

"Thank you Kurogiri, I will go find them then." Shouta replies.

He then makes his way farther into the room, towards the back where he can see couches and a flickering light that could be from a TV. As he gets closer he can hear voices.

"How did you do that? That's cheating!" a rough voice exclaims.

"All I did was drift around the corner and shoot a shell at you. It wasn't anything spectacular." A smooth voice responds. That's Hitoshi's voice.

Shouta arrives at the back couches to find Izuku sitting on Stephan's lap on one couch, and Hitoshi sitting next to a pastel blue haired teen which they frantically race each other in what looks like Mario Kart.

Unsurprisingly, it's Izuku that notices him first.

"Dad!" he exclaims, jumping up from his place on Stephan and dashing over to Shouta.

Shouta readily catches his son and scoops him up into his arms, settling him on his hip with the familiar mess of emotions that comes with being able to do so. No fourteen year old should be this small.

"Hey Problem Child." He greets, "What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?" he asks, only partially teasing.

The fact that Izuku buries his face in Shouta's capture weapon doesn't bode well for the answer.

"Hi Dad." Hitoshi says, drawing his attention to his other son who still sits on the couch with a stranger, who has a severed hand on their face. What the hell?

"Hitoshi, good to see you're okay." Shouta replies.

Hitoshi looks away, making Shouta's heart drop.

"I need an explanation and one of you boys is going to give it to me." Shouta says in his stern, no nonsense tone. Hizashi calls it his 'teaching voice'. Now that he knows they're okay it's time to get serious.

Izuku pulls his head up and wiggles to be set down. Shouta obliges easily.

"We were walking back from UA when someone grabbed Hitoshi's arm and dragged him into an alleyway. Variant and Hitoshi then started to fight them." Izuku begins.

"Judging by what they were saying to each other, they were trying to kidnap us." Hitoshi chimes in. "There were three of them, and two of them were easy enough to fight off. The third had a regeneration quirk. So he was a bit more complicated. We thought we knocked him out but..." He trails off.

"He got back up when we were getting our phones out to call you. He grabbed Hitoshi and threw him into a wall, knocking him out. So Variant ended up fighting him alone. Except he wouldn't go down. So the only way to get him to stop was, you know." Izuku mutters, looking down.

So they killed him. Fuck.

"How is Variant holding up after killing him." Shouta asks, moving past the issue for now.

"Oh it wasn't Variant the killed him. Variant didn't want to." Izuku tells him.

Shouta finds that a bit hard to believe with how violent Variant always is.

"So Break killed him. Quite gruesomely." Izuku finishes.

Who? Who is Break?

Shouta looks to the guy on the couch, who puts his hands up, "Don't look at me! I just disposed of the evidence!"

That, that's something to come back to for sure.

"Who is Break Izuku?" Shouta asks.

"He's a new alter! He's very aggressive." Izuku tells him.

More aggressive than Variant? Shouta suppresses a sigh. So Izuku developed a new alter. Just one more thing to add on to this cluster fuck.

"Can I talk to Break?" he asks.

Izuku nods and closes his eyes. When he opens them, his eyes are a deep crimson.

"Good to meet you Aizawa. I'm Break. Arguably the one responsible for this whole mess." A new voice greets.

This voice is smooth like Variant's, but deeper. It sounds almost unbothered, disinterested and yet judgmental. Where Variant was manipulative, this voice is direct. He doesn't need to smooth talk you, you'll do what he wants whether you want to or not.

"Hello Break. It's nice to meet you." Shouta replies.

Break scoffs, "Don't lie to me. I know you're not exactly thrilled about Zu manifesting a new alter."

It's years of experience that keep Shouta from faltering at the statement, "So long as Izuku's safe, we can figure the rest out. And it sounds like we have you to thank for that."

Break gives him a skeptical look, "You do. I killed the guy because that was the only way to keep us safe. I won't apologize, it was absolutely necessary."

"I don't doubt that. I just need all of the information so we can properly move forward. Hence why I asked for you to join the discussion instead of Izuku relaying it second hand." Shouta tells him.

"A good idea, I must admit." Break concedes.

"Now then, what incriminating evidence do we need to deal with? You mentioned something about disposing of evidence?" Shouta asks the still unnamed teen on the couch.

"My quirk is called Decay. Anything I touch with all five fingers disintegrates into dust." The teen tells him, "I'm Shigaraki Tomura. I'm a long time friend of Stephan's and the one who found out your sons were a target."

"A target?" Shouta demands.

"We'll get to that, "Stephan interrupts, "For now we need to know that Izuku, or Break rather, isn't going to get charged with murder."

"There's nothing left but blood stains. When I found them, Hitoshi was just waking up the two were still in shock. So I decided to step in. I decayed all three bodies and brought them here after informing Stephan that I had found them."

Shouta directs an unimpressed look at his sons, "And you just went with the man without question?" he questions.

Hitoshi rapidly shakes his head while Break scoffs, "No, Stephan was there to convince us. And we trust Stephan with our lives." The alter says, leaning against the armrest of an armchair.

Stephan seems to straighten at the praise. And it is high praise indeed. Shouta doesn't feel the need to add that he also trusts Stephan a good deal. He's sure the young man knows this, or he wouldn't have pulled this stunt to begin with. At least he hopes not. Although it sounds like they had a good reason.

"Fine then." Shouta says, "You said something about them being targets?" he asks, moving the conversation along.

Shigaraki nods. "My...benefactor is a man we call Sensei. He is a very powerful man, a very powerful villain. Originally he was intrigued by Izuku's case. Such a landmark case was bound to catch his interest. He was mostly interested to see if Izuku could be convinced to join his cause. He seems to have a thing for collecting lost souls and preying on their tragic pasts. Sensei probably saw Izuku as no different. The outcome wasn't what he wanted so he lost interest."

"Then why am I a target now?" Izuku asks, sounding nervous.

"Your analysis." Shigaraki says simply, "I'm not sure if he knows that it's coming from the same person as the trial. He probably does since Sensei tends to be all knowing. He caught wind of your analysis that was circling the hero industry and has decided you would be instrumental to his plans."

Izuku stiffens but doesn't say anything.

"And what about me?" Hitoshi asks.

"Your quirk. I'm not trying to stereotype you or label you, but you have to admit it'd be useful to a villain." Shigaraki tells him simply.

Hitoshi flinches, "Trust me, I'm aware." He says sardonically.

"Does this sensei of yours have a villain name?" Shouta asks. And he has to admit, even he is unsettled by the explanation.

"You're underground, Eraserhead. I'm sure you've heard of All for One." Shigaraki says simply.

His heart stops. Of course Shouta knows who All for One is. The villain was after him too at one point, before Nedzu stepped in and put him under his protection. And the chimera seems to be one of the few people the Symbol of Evil doesn't want to cross just yet. Which is why he's not sure how to feel about the fact that Nedzu is partially to blame for the target on Izuku's back because he spread around his analysis. Shouta will have to talk to the rat about getting protections on Izuku and Hitoshi then.

"Yes, I've heard of him." Shouta says, cutting off his own spiraling thoughts, "And you said he is your 'benefactor'?" he then asks.

Shigaraki shrugs, "He took me in when I was an abandoned child and raised me to be his successor. I would call that a benefactor to put it nicely."

"Then why help my sons?" Shouta follows up with.

"Because I plan to use this power to change society. And I figured having you guys in my party would be a lot more beneficial than the two kids being in Sensei's iron grasp. That and Sensei doesn't ask nicely. Me on the other hand, I am willing to bargain."

Bargain. Shouta isn't sure how he feels about that word choice.

"Take what you can get more like." Stephan says with a chuckle.

"And what exactly do you want from us?" Shouta asks. This is getting complicated fast. Which is why he's glad the boys are staying quiet and letting him handle this mess.

"For now, I want to help protect your sons from Sensei. Sensei is a boss we're not prepared to fight yet." Shigaraki tells him.

"And how does bringing them here help with that? Won't he know that you've had contact with them?"

"Sensei doesn't monitor this location much. Aside from Kurogiri, he's left this place in my hands. We plan to open it as a neutral zone in an attempt to gather more allies." Shigaraki tells him.

"And you want my backing for that?" Shouta asks. Whether he likes to admit it or not, he holds a decent amount of clout in the underworld. Having his support would be a major factor in making this idea of theirs take off. 

Shigaraki shrugs, "It would certainly help. But there's something else I want."

"And what's that?" Shouta dares ask.

"I want a meeting with Nedzu."

Shouta can't help it. He laughs. Shigaraki doesn't seem to like that.

"You think this is a joke?" He demands.

Shaking his head, Shouta pulls himself together. "No, no I know you're serious. However you are obviously new to the game if you think it will be that easy." He looks to Stephan, "You didn't think to tell him this? You know first hand the rat's antics when it comes to this stuff."

Stephan sighs, "I tried telling him, but he insisted on asking anyway. Thanks for proving me right." He says with a smirk.

Well, he's got guts at least.

"Look, I can't get you a meeting, not yet. You need to keep in mind that Nedzu is like the opposite side of the coin to All for One. You meeting with him personally would never end well. Neither would approve and would probably start a war over it." Shouta explains.

"But we can at least talk to him ourselves right?" Izuku asks.

Shouta looks at his son. Judging by the look in his eye, he already has a plan.

"We can. See what Nedzu thinks of this whole mess and go from there. Stephan, you can come too if that makes you both feel better."

Stephan gives him a deer in the headlights look. "I think I'll pass on that one thanks."

"Stephan, you're the only one other than me with all the information. You have to go." Shigaraki tells him.

There's a long pause. "Fine." He drawls out. "I'll go. But I want tiger lilies at my funeral."

Shigaraki snorts, "I'm sure we'll all remember given how many times you've said that exact phrase.

"Don't worry Steve! We'll be there too!" Izuku tries to assure the man.

Shigaraki raises an eyebrow at the nickname but Stephan brushes him off.

Shouta clears his throat. "Well if that's settled, I'm going to take my sons home. It's been a long day for both of them."

The two men nod, "You can contact Stephan if you need anything from me. He knows how to get ahold of me." Shigaraki tells him.

"I'll keep that in mind. Come on boys, let's go." Shouta instructs.

"Awe, but we didn't get to finish our race." Hitoshi complains.

One look from Shouta has him quickly closing his mouth.

"Bye Steve! Bye Shiggy!" Izuku says his farewells.

Shigaraki chokes while Stephan gets a shit eating grin on his face. "See you later Izu."

---

The ride home is a quiet one. And not a good kind of quiet. It the type that has all sides tense and hesitant to break it.

Finally, Izuku speaks up.

"Dad?" he asks hesitantly.

"Yes Izuku?" Zawa asks. And oh, Izuku doesn't like that tone. That's the, 'I'm so tired I'm overwhelmed' tone.

"Are you...m-mad at us?" he asks, bracing for a response.

Zawa lets out a long breath. "No Izuku, I'm not mad at you. Never you."

"Or Hitoshi?"

"Or Hitoshi. I'm still processing is all. Am I frustrated? Yes, at the situation. Am I dumbfounded? Absolutely, you boys are absolute trouble magnets. Problem Children through and through."

"Oi, Break's the one who killed a man." Hitoshi cuts in.

"And there's that too of course." Shouta agrees, "I just want you kids safe. And anything involving the boogieman of the underworld is decidedly not safe. For anyone involved."

And just like that the silence is back.

"Are we really going to talk to Nedzu?" Hitoshi asks.

Shouta sighs again. He really does sound exhausted. The kind of bone deep tired no amount of sleep can wake you up from. "Yes. As much as I wish we could forget this never happened, it needs to be addressed. And soon." He pauses, "Izuku, am I right in saying you have a plan?" he asks.

Izuku jolts at the direct address, "I have a few theoreticals, but nothing concrete until I talk it over with Nedzu-sensei." He tells his dad.

"Good, I'll call Nedzu when we get home and we'll all go see him tomorrow. Your Papa included." Shouta replies.

"What about plausible deniability?" Hitoshi asks, only half serious.

"Your papa would kill me if I left him out of this. Or worse, divorce me. Nao and I are a lot of things, but mainly we are a team. We make decisions together, as a team. And deciding how to keep our sons out of the clutches of the Symbol of Evil is a pretty big decision." He says with a chuckle.

The boys relax at the sound. If their dad can find humor in the situation, then they're going to be all right.   

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

Big heavy chapter we got here. Lots of plot development. I hope it all made sense.
I'm sure Izuku being involved with the League wasn't where some of you wanted this to go. I've had a few comments on the matter. Unfortunately, that was always the intention. If you need to rant, you can find me on discord. All I ask is you come with a positive to say too. Morally grey Izuku is my favorite Izuku, and you have to admit, he could only get so far on the straight and narrow before something happened. He is a Problem Child.
I also feel like Shiggy is out of character, but I kind of need him to be for what I have planned to work. And the line about Nao and Shouta being a team? Taken straight from my dad about him and my mother.
Anyway.
To be honest, I'm excited. Excited despite having nothing but a rough theme and concept of where I want any of this to go from here. Buckle up yall cause we're in for a ride. Conspiracies here we come. Shoto would be so proud.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one! Thanks for reading.
Later
>>---> Arrow

Chapter 27: And So it Begins

Summary:

The aftermath and the start of The Plan

Notes:

Well hello everyone! Its been a long time hasn't it?
I'm back, as I promised. It just took much longer than expected.

This chapter is a crazy one, lots of stuff gets dropped on you guys. An excellent way to get back in the swing of things in my opinion.

Please bare with me on the formatting and spacing and such, it's been son long I don't remember exactly how I used to do things.

Thank you all for your patience. I really do hope you enjoy and do be sure to let me know what you think!

Naomasa is already home when they arrive. He meets them in the front entryway as soon as he hears the key in the lock. The look on his face is one for worry and concern. One Shouta can definitely relate to.

Shouta made sure to tell his husband about where he was going and why before he went in case things went south. Unfortunately that does give more fuel to the burning fire of anxiety over all of their safety.

 

“So let me get this straight. All for One is alive, and targeting our sons, who were rescued by his protege who is somehow no also evil and Stephan is secretly in league with him while also being on our side. Did I get that right?” Naomasa asks after hearing the retelling.

He had sat quietly at the table as they all explained everything to him at length.

 

Shouta nods. “That's the gist of it yeah.”

“You don’t seem very surprised to hear the boogieman of the underworld is real Papa.” Izuku points out.

Naomasa and Shouta exchange a long look, before Shouta nods and Nao sighs.

“That’s because I’ve worked on a classified case regarding him in the past.” Naomasa tells

them.

Izuku straightens, “With All Might?” he asks, the name clearly sitting bitter on his tongue.

Naomasa chuckles lightly at Izuku instantly catching on, “Yes Izu, with All Might. All Might is sworn enemies with All for One, so has been secretly hunting the man down for years. Six years ago they had a showdown. All Might was victorious, supposedly killing All for One, however they never found a body. And if you don’t find a body-“

“They’re not really dead.” Hitoshi finishes for him.

Naomasa smiles, “Correct. However All Might refused to listen to reason, and called it a case closed, so the search was ended. I’ve never agreed with the decision.”

“Is that why you always get so worked up when the same thing happens in the shows and movies we watch?” Izuku asks.

Naomasa jolts at the accusation.

Shouta laughs, “See, I told you they’d notice sooner or later.” he teases his husband.

---

---

Shouta and Izuku head to the office to call Nedzu together. The rat is probably already waiting for them to call him.

“Good evening Shouta and Izuku. How wonderful that you called me.” Answers Nedzu’s cheery voice.

“Hello Nedzu, it’s been quite an eventful day, and it needs to be discussed immediately.” Shouta replies.

“I see, would this happen to be about the new friend you made today?” Nedzu asks.

Izuku giggles, “Sensei, have you been meddling?” he asks, teasingly.

Shouta isn’t sure how he feels about his son being on teasing terms with the rat.

Nedzu chuckles in turn, “Of course not, simply observing, as you know I love to do.” he replies.

“My sons are targets of All for One, I see nothing amusing about this. Seeing as you are indirectly responsible.” Shouta accuses.

Nedzu is quiet for a moment.

“Shouta-kun. You seem to be under the impression I intentionally endangered Izuku by spreading his analysis. Please, perish the thought. I had no such intention, it was an oversight I must unfortunately admit. One for which I apologize to you and your family for. Rest assured I will do everything in my power to remedy it.”

Shouta stiffens. Nedzu never apologizes. He may admit a mistake, but he’d never apologize for it. Shouta has heard him apologize sincerely exactly twice. The first, was for Oboro’s death. The second was when Shouta was having a breakdown in his office after narrowly escaping All for One with his life. He apologized for enlarging the target on his back by making him his personal student, and promised him he would protect him at all costs. This would eventually lead to Shouta being one of the most well informed heroes in Japan while simultaneously being unheard of. Nedzu certainly delivered on his promise.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Shouta asks, echoing the question he used when he was in this situation all those years ago. He's sure the irony is not lost on Nedzu.

"We are all going to meet tomorrow morning. Bring your family. This is something to involve  everyone in. Stephan's presence is required as well, but I will handle that. I will also have Hawks show up. I shall plan tonight, and we will finalize tomorrow." Nedzu explains to them. "And Izuku-kun?"

Izuku perks up, "Yes Sensei?"

"I suggest you brush up on The Plan. And make any notes or additions that you think would be applicable to this situation." Nedzu suggests.

Izuku nods, despite Nedzu not being about to see him, "We'll be sure to!"

He said we, so all the alters. Which means Izuku will be spending a lot of time in his nook tonight.

"Wonderful! I will see you all tomorrow then! Good night!" Nedzu says in conclusion.

Then he hangs up before either of them can respond.

Izuku looks at Shouta, "Don't worry dad, we have a plan." He assures him.

That just makes Shouta worry for a completely different set of reasons.

---

---

Thankfully, Shouta has the night off. He doesn't need to worry about being able to focus on his job while stressing about everything that happened today. That said, Nao had to go into the station for his own night shift, which leaves Shouta in an empty to ponder things.

Shouta trusts Nedzu, he does. But his sons catching the attention of All for One is bringing back memories from when the same thing happened to Shouta when he had first gone solo as an underground hero.

He still vividly remembers that night. It was a night of many revelations and when his career took a drastic nose dive in intensity.

     

---

Shouta's head was spinning. Partially due to the blood loss, and partially due to shock. Mainly due to shock. He really did think he was going to die tonight. He's struggling to calm his breathing. His capture weapon feels like it strangling him; but taking it off brings rise to a whole new level of instinctual panic at being unarmed.

"Shouta-kun. Shouta-kun you need to breathe." a familiar voice coaches. Shouta tries to listen, really he does. But it's still more than he can manage. His breathing stutters in his chest and he continues to spiral.

He can hear voices, hushed tones above where he is curled up against the wall. His grip tightens around his knife when steps approach. Yet they don't stop. Shouta relaxes ever so slightly upon realizing that gait is not that of a human.

Something soft brushes his hand, moving it away from his core. Before he can panic a weight drops into his lap.

Shouta freezes, breath halting for a moment in surprise. The weight is grounding. He feels it. Soft too. He focuses his whole being on the sensation of brushing his free hand over the soft material. Fur his mind supplies.

Gradually his breathing slows, his tunnel vision clears. His heart stops pounding and his instincts settle.

 

"Are you lucid now Shouta?" the voice asks. Nedzu, that's Nedzu's voice.

Shouta nods, swallowing roughly.

Nedzu gives a hum of approval and stands up. 

"Now then, first off, Chiyo is going to tend your wounds. You're quite beat up and don't need to lose anymore blood." The rat tells him.

That when Shouta takes notice of Recovery Girl standing off to the side, observing quietly.

Taking Nedzu's words as her cue, she makes her way over to Shouta.

"Might as well take off what you can dear," she tells him, "That uniform is no doubt ruined and will only get in the way at this point."

Shouta nods, shakily standing to do so. He's long since lost his sense of modesty around these two after all the times he's shown up needing medical attention. Nedzu keeps spare clothes for him in his office anyhow.

Chiyo leads him over to the chair in the corner meant for just this.

As she sets to work, Shouta turns his attention to Nedzu.

"I thought I was going to die." Is the first thing he says. So much for his usual logical thinking.

Nedzu hums, "No, I fear he had no intention of killing you. He wanted you alive, if only just barely."

He? What?

"Sensei...do you know who that was." Shouta asks.

"I don't know who it was you fought, but I know who sent him. His name is All for One."

Shouta flinches, "The Boogie Man? He's just a legend."

Nedzu shakes his head, "No, he isn't. That's just what he wants the underworld to think."

"You would know wouldn't you Nedzu." Chiyo accuses.

This time Nedzu flinches.

"You owe this boy the full story, after all he is involved now. He needs to know." She urges, never taking her eyes off the deep gash she was stitching up. Shouta barely feels it, adrenaline still coursing through his veins even now.

"I need to apologize Shouta. I fear I have gotten you tangled up in a terrible mess." Nedzu tells him.

"What do you mean Sensei? Does this have to do with All for One?" Shouta asks.

"His name is Shigaraki Hisashi. Better known as All for One. He has been a powerful figure in the underworld since the Quirk Wars. He was also the one who freed me from the lab I was being experimented on.

"I was grateful to him, indebted even. He was the first human to treat me like a person and not a science experiment. So when he asked me to join him I did so without question. I didn't care that he was a villain, it's not like the heroes ever did anything for me.

"I was naive. New to the world of humans and its complex politics. I did what he asked without question. Then, I started to get skeptical. So I did a bit of digging on my own. And I learned much, too much. First off, the lab he 'rescued' me from was one of his own. He simply saw my progress and deemed me a success. Second I learned of all the other atrocities he had and was committing. And I decided he had to be stopped. Suddenly humans were just like me, left to suffer under his influence and machinations.

"I reached out to the heroes, and eventually found someone who would take me seriously. Decided to take their side instead. All for One and I have been feuding ever since." Nedzu finishes.

By this time, Chiyo has finished tending to Shouta and is listening with a pained expression.

"And what does this have to do with me?" Shouta asks slowly, head spinning.

"It would seem you've gained his attention. Be it for your quirk or otherwise. He must also know that you are my protege. He sees you as something I have over him. As a challenge. And has broken our long stalemate over it."

Shouta feels faint. He's really in deep shit now. But something simmers in his chest. Pride. The Boogieman of the Underworld sees Shouta as enough of a threat to go back to war with Nedzu.

"So what are we going to do about it? Shouta asks.

Nedzu's grin is nothing short of feral and is laugh is maniacal.

"We, are going to turn you into a hero like nothing he has ever seen before. He sees you as a threat, we're going to give him a reason to.

---

---

 

The next morning is a quiet one. The meeting with Nedzu no doubt weighing on not only Shouta's mind, but the rest of his families. Nao offers to drive, which Shouta is thankful for. He'll need the drive there to get his thoughts in order. Its far to early for life changing conversations.

Stephan is already there when they arrive. Beside him sits Erin, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to Shouta.

“Greetings Eraserhead. It's been a while.” she greets him.

He nods, “Hello Truth, it’s good to see you.”

And honestly it is. Shouta is glad she’s here. Erin is intelligent and cunning beyond measure, and as another of Nedzu’s proteges she is almost as well informed as Shouta. How she has avoided catching All for One's attention is beyond him.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here.” She says, “I’m simultaneously acting as Stephan’s back up and Nedzu’s second opinion.” She tells him.

Looking at Stephan, he needs it. While still very much composed, Shouta can tell he is struggling under the seer pressure and presence Nedzu is exuding right now.

Naomasa and Hitoshi seem to be unsettled as well. And Izuku… well if Shouta didn’t know any better, and he does, he’d say Izuku is oblivious to Nedzu’s intense aura with how content he looks. But in reality, Nedzu makes Izuku feel safe, so it is only logical that he would be most relaxed when Nedzu is exerting his power.

Once everyone is seated, Nedzu looks from person to person. "We're just waiting on one more." He says.

Then the door swings open to reveal Hawks, a look of all business on his face.

"Good, I made it on time. Hello everyone." Hawks greets.

He takes a seat in the last available spot.

This Hawks is a completely different man from the carefree one that hangs out with Izuku and Hitoshi.

Shouta glances at Izuku and notes that his expression, has changed.

No, a closer look at the toxic green eyes tells him Variant is fronting.

Shouta composes himself for what will no doubt be an intense conversation.

---

Nedzu sits in his chair and looks over the people in the room. Everyone here has something key to contribute. Even the children do. And while Nedzu would normally hesitate to use children in his plans he knows these boys have long since lost that childhood innocence that would normally need to be protected. And with Hisashi on their tail, steps must be taken to protect his newest generation of personal students. He hasn't lost one yet, and he doesn't plan to. Nedzu has been at odds with Hisashi for decades and he doesn't intend to lose now. Not when he is this close to handling the Commission. The addition of Hawks into their fold was definitely unexpected, but certainly welcome. His unique knowledge and perspective of the HPSC will be instrumental to The Plan.

Speaking of, he wonders what additions and changes Izuku and his system have brought with them this morning. The system is truly remarkable especially considering all that they have been through. But on account of just that, working long term and in close contact with the heroes was simply never feasible. And they knew that all along. And despite his hesitation, Nedzu knows that Shouta has always known this fact too. It still pains Nedzu to see Shouta have to face bringing his sons into the underworld he knows so well. Shouta knows just how dangerous it can be. But he is also one of the most qualified to keep them safe.

"Everyone is here then, wonderful." Nedzu chirps, pressing his paws together.

It took quite a bit of work and study to adopt common human mannerisms. Despite this, Nedzu has found the task to be more than worth the effort. It is truly amazing what body language, posture and gestures can do to set the tone and flow of a human conversation. He does find it rather ironic that the human expression of happiness and openness is a 'smile'. It was one of the first things Nedzu had to master. Smiling without baring his teeth. The fact that what is considered baring teeth to the rest of species is such common place in human society shows how deceptive and underhanded humans can be.

"You all know why we are here. I have made sure to catch Hawks up to speed as well." Nedzu continues.

"Do you have a plan then Nedzu?" Naomasa asks him.

Nedzu grins, "In a way, yes. It's very multifaceted though. And serves more than one end."

Naomasa looks quite exasperated but unsurprised and unfazed. The man has adapted to Nedzu's way of doing things quite impressively over the years of being in a relationship with Shouta.

"The primary issue here is that All for One has taken interest in the boys. While it is a problem and definitely a threat to their safety it can be used to our advantage, in completely different ways for the two of them that is." Nedzu tells them.

"Let's start with the easy one. Hitoshi, while it was meant to be a surprise, you were accepted as a recommendation student. Your task is to familiarize yourself with underground heroics to be come as instrumental as possible. To that end you will not only be attending UA as a hero student but I will also sign off on an apprenticeship  under Eraserhead. It's going to be a lot at once but I know you can handle it." Nedzu explains.

Hitoshi looks startled, but determined.

"Nedzu, what purpose does an apprenticeship serve at his age?" Shouta asks.

"It means he can have higher clearances and better access to more intel on account of being under your direct supervision. This will be crucial." Nedzu tells him.

Realization dawns on Shouta's face, along with a look of fear, a rare emotion to see from his normally stoic student.

"So that much of The Plan hasn't changed then." Variant confirms.

And how excited Nedzu is that Variant has decided to join them. The alter take a lot of convincing to come out and talk to Nedzu, but the chimera has noticed he takes The Plan especially seriously.

Nedzu shakes his head, "No that has not. Your role however has had to be altered."

Variant scoffs, "I'll say. So much for starting as a heroics analyst. Straight to the underworld we go."

Everyone startles at this.

"Wait you don't mean-" Naomasa starts.

"They do Nao. Might as well accept it." Shouta cuts him off, sounding resigned.

The man in question does not look like he's about to do anything of the sort.

"Nedzu and I talked about it, " Erin begins, "And we think it best Variant, and now Break, start work in the underworld as an informant and analyst. We all know taking formal work in the hero industry with their background simply wouldn't work. The commission would flip shit. And so far we have managed to avoid their involvement in Izuku's situation as a whole." She tells them.

Naomasa deflates, clearly having realized this as well. After all, he's no stranger to either parts of society. He is one of the few with a foot in both that is not a hero. A fact that does serve them well on many accounts.

Naomasa has become the unofficial point of contact between the police and Nedzu. Something the man is excellent at. He has certainly impressed Nedzu many times over the years.

"So let me get this straight, you want him to go work with this Shigaraki character?" Shouta asks.

Erin shakes her head. "Not exactly. He needs to be prepared logistically for that level of involvement and commitment.  And he needs to learn how to properly defend himself should things go south."

"Oi!" Variant protests, clearly offended by the doubt in his ability to keep Izuku safe. Unfortunately, she is correct. None of the system have any formal combat training.

"That's where Steve and I come in. First off, Stephan is going to help train Variant and Break in combat and self defense." Erin continues.

"And why aren't I training my own son?" Shouta demands.

"No offense Eraserhead, but you fight and think like a hero. A morally grey hero, but still a hero. Variant and Break need to know how to fight dirty and lethally. You will also have your hands full with training and preparing Hitoshi for his role in all this." Stephan explains.

Shouta sighs, "I hate that you are correct. But if you get my son killed I will kill you without hesitation."

Stephan nods, "I am well aware. And I don't plan to. I've survived this long as a Quirkless haven't I?"

Stephan learned to fight in the back alleys and underground fighting rings of the United States. If anyone can teach the system how to handle themselves in the underworld when they don't have a quirk it's him.

"You have, but you're going to have work to regain some lost trust as a result of yesterday." Shouta tells him.

Stephan stiffens, but nods acceptingly nonetheless. 

"While he's training, Nedzu and I will help him establish a remote network and something of a reputation. We're aiming for a strictly neutral stance. Nedzu will handle the heroes and I will handle the underworld. If he takes sides he risks provoking either All for One or the heroes we don't have influence over." Erin explains.

Ah yes, limelight heroes are such a pain at times. But they are a variable that Nedzu has long since learned to work around. After all they are so very predicable.

"So once he's prepared then what? What all are you expecting my son to do?" Naomasa asks, sounding worked up. He is very protective of his family, but Nedzu has no intention of sending Izuku into something that he can't handle. His protege will be more than capable of handing this and more in due time.

"He'll start working with Shigaraki. Stephan will be there of course to be his back up." Erin tells him.

"As for Shigaraki's request for Eraserhead to sponsor the bar and neutral space, we've decided that would, to put it simply, start a war between All for One and myself." Nedzu begins, "However I am interested to see how this plays out. The idea has potential, and from what I know of Shigaraki, he is genuine in his desire for change. My understanding is he isn't privy to the full story between myself and All for One, and by extension, between All for One and Eraserhead. That said, offering Shouta's or my own direct assistance is simply not feasible."

"So I will offer mine instead." Erin finishes for him, "My connection to Nedzu is a lot less conspicuous. I definitely lean much heavier into the criminal side of the underworld than you do Eraserhead."

And she's right. She is definitely Nedzu's shadow operative while Shouta is his main chess piece. With the focus on him, All for One has taken little notice of Erin. Although that may change once Erin starts working with Shigiraki. Nedzu will address that problem as it arises. Hisashi doesn't seem to be keeping a very tight leash on his protege if the young man went to Eraserhead of all people for support. It is quite baffling and Nedzu doesn't like not know what to expect from the fossil.

"While Izuku is being prepared for his role in The Plan, Shigaraki and I will have to work on getting the bar some notoriety and traction. It's going to have to become our own hotbed of activity if we want to keep informed." Stephan says, "No offense to you heroes, but there somethings citizens of the underworld simply won't tell a hero, no matter how morally grey they are."

Shouta chuckles, "We are well aware. That why this bar idea has a surprising amount of potential. However it would seem most of us have yet to be caught up to speed on the rest of 'The Plan'." He adds, sending a glare Nedzu's way.

Nedzu gives him a feral grin, "All in due time Shouta-kun. Izuku and I still have much to finalize before the rest of you need to be properly briefed."

Shouta gives him a less than impressed look, but doesn't argue.

"Is there anything else that needs to be covered Sensei?" Variant asks.

Nedzu thinks a moment. That should be all that is of immediate concern. Much of this course of action will have to be further fleshed out as things play out on their own.

"I believe that is all." Nedzu tells the room. "While this is all a lot to take in, we do need to remember we have the start of the new school year coming up. I suggest you all turn your attention to that for the time being." He advises.

Nods circulate the room along with a few tired sighs (Shouta and Hawks) and excited jittering (Izuku and Hitoshi).

Yes, Nedzu  think to himself, things are about to get very, very, interesting.   

Notes:

Greetings my dudes! How goes it?

I have returned! It's good to be back I must say. And I have to thank everyone who has left comments over this past almost year. You kept this fic in my mind and kept reminding me people are waiting for another chapter. All of your unwavering support really did help over the course of this somewhat unplanned hiatus.

That said, how was the chapter? Did you enjoy all the lore I dropped on your heads? I'll admit the Shouta flash back scene really did run away from me. What was supposed to be a brief establishment of trauma suddenly turned in a massive plot point. Oops?

I think I have a pretty good idea of where I am going from here, so another update should be up and coming soon. I have finally graduated college, so I no longer have that to worry about getting in my way and taking up all my time and energy.

I hope to see you all soon!

Later
>>---> Arrow

Notes:

Come join the party with my Nerd Squad!
It's a casual discord server I started.
But we have a good time. You really never know what's going to happen when you get a group of nerds together. :D
I've attached a link thing for anyone who is interested.

https://discord.gg/Jmmy7dJ3a7

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Welcome to the Nightmare Inside My Head