{~Deku one-shots with angst~}

To tire the brain and worn the heart

AU: Set in a Detective (in-training) Midoriya universe. Midoriya lacks self-care in this universe too, and Tsukauchi is here to help.

Also! Spoiler for Season 5! Please don't read this chapter if you don't want spoilers (well, I just used something that was present in Season 5 and inflicted it onto Midoriya as well but ya know).

There was a connection between these highlighted phrases. He knew it.

Papers filled with notes lay on the table, a few mugs that once held coffee sitting on the desk.

It was by accident that he found out about Hawks infiltrating the LOV, but once he was into the secret, he was determined to help as much as possible.

Many people still didn't believe in him as he was quirkless, but as a detective-in-training, he had already cracked a few cases that no one else could- this case was personally handed to him by Hawks, there was no way he couldn't try his best and solve it.

The young hero had flown in front of him the day before, giving him a book called the Meta Liberation Army, asking him to give it to All Might since they were close.

Midoriya instantly recognised something was wrong and that Hawks was trying to tell him something; Hawks knew that Midoriya was awkward around All Might and had no intention of ever being close to him, despite frequently meeting due to his mentor, Tsukauchi.

The grenette had went home and pondered in bed that night, replaying the scene in his mind.

'A society completed by personal responsibility..'

Hawks' ideology wasn't like that. The Hero Commission- and Midoriya clenched his fist at the mention of them- had pressured Hawks into constantly working to reach a perfect image of what they wanted a hero to seem like. He had never had freedom as a hero- he wanted heroes to have too much time on their hands. To have the luxury Keigo-san had never gotten.

Midoriya needed to get the message. And fast.

Hawks' expression was serious, cold. He wasn't like that- it completely opposed his demeanour.

'You should look over the parts that were highlighted.'

Midoriya sighed, and rubbed his face.

'I recommend the second part.'

That seemed the most important. The second part.

But the second highlighted sentence made no sense... nothing on the second page either, or any highlighted part with the word 'second'.

It was irritating and made Midoriya frustrated- but most of all at himself. The one thing he thought he could be good at, and yet he couldn't solve it when it mattered a lot more than he could ever imagine.

Midoriya stood up, stretched and slapped himself aware.

Second. What else could be 2? The second part of a sentence?

But this seemed too difficult, as Hawks didn't create the book. If he wanted to spread a message, he would have to use little parts and combine them...and since this was a book-

Midoriya felt like an idiot for not thinking of it sooner- words!

Using a book meant that it would become easier to compile individual words into sentences! And the second part... could this possibly mean the second word per a highlighted section?]

With newfound determination, Midoriya took out a pen and paper and went through each phrase, writing down the second word each time.

'The..enemy..is..the...liberation army!'

The liberation army? What was that?

'They...number...over..a...hundred..thousand?!'

Midoriya frantically flicked through the pages, as he got increasingly more worried over the message he was discovering.

'In...four..months..to...action'

Midoriya drops his pen, and takes a deep breath, trying to stop himself from trembling.

An attack...with over a hundred thousand...

Before he could think more, a knock was rattled onto the door and he let out a weak 'c-come in'.

----

Naomasa immediately knew something was wrong with his student when he replied, and after years of training his instincts, he swiftly went into the room, closed the door and hurried to assure Midoriya.

The grenette was one of the most talented people he'd ever come across, and his quirklessness did not change that. He was strong in a way unlike heroes like All Might- he stood up to everyone's tormenting and discriminating, and went out the other side of the tunnel.

So to see his student in such a state, eye bags already laying under his eyes and his usually pristine desk a mess, Tsukauchi was quick to ask Midoriya what had happened.

"T-tsukauchi-san I-" Midoriya gulped nervously, "I think I found out what Hawks was trying to tell us."

Naomasa widened his eyes; Midoriya had told him yesterday what had happened with Hawks and how he was concerned that it was to do with the hero's infiltration of the LOV, but Tsukauchi hadn't gotten a chance to work it out yet, with the cases of villains still quite high, despite Endeavour's impressive show as the new Number One.

"Midoriya, please get some rest. Thank you for your hard-work, it's really helped a lot. But as your mentor, I can't force you to continue work when you're not in the state to work- mental toll can have huge impacts too, don't forget that!"

"But Tsu-"

"Midoriya, please."

Midoriya seemed to debate for a while, before pouting a little and accepting defeat.

"Fine, but you'll alert me if anything happens right?"

"Yes, I will." the detective ruffles the younger male's curls, "Now get some sleep!"

He's always wanted to be a hero but the harsh reality was that he couldn't.

But he could still save people right?

-------

A/N: Hope you enjoyed!
(But god I really didn't like this chapter-
I liked writing how Mido cracked the code but the angst? Yeah, not good at all; at least for me. There wasn't a sense of heart lunging and tsukauchi was just poorly written. This is like 3rd worst after 'Trick or Treat' and 'I'm so tired...' Hopefully better chapter next!)