A Grey Thin Line

7

Izuku manages to convince Kuroda that murdering a pro hero would not, in fact, be a good idea. It was a near thing and that green haired douche-waffle better appreciate the effort Izuku put into preserving his annoying ass.

Mom isn’t all that happy hearing what happened, either. She’s hellbent on talking to Nedzu about finding a non verbally abusive hero for Izuku to intern with. Between the two, Izuku doesn’t know who would win and he resolves to not find out.

It’s a good thing the weekend is here, he’s got two days to come up with a plan that doesn’t cause too much chaos. He can’t make too much trouble, but he also can’t let the heroes think he’s slacking off. According to Nighteye, he’s got a reputation now, might as well live up to it.

So yeah, he hits up his friends to see if they’re busy. Only Kahiro and Shinsou respond, and they all decide to hang out at a cafe. Izuku sits down for about .5 seconds before the two of them start grilling him,

“Woah, woah, woah, hold up.” Kahiro demands after a while, leaning over the cafe table. “He compared you to a dog?”

Izuku sips his tea, grimacing at how it burns his tongue. “Yep. Then he started talking about this ‘successor’ crap and wouldn’t even tell me what it is!” The incredulous look on her face makes him laugh, “but you should’ve seen his face when I compared his beef with All Might to a lover’s quarrel.”

“The shipping forums woulda loved that.” Shinsou buts in, returning from the counter  with his third double-shot espresso. Izuku snorts into his drink, Kahiro had the misfortune of being mid-sip. Once she stops choking, she points at him.

“One, holy fuck, yes. Two, I’m pretty sure if you drink one more of those you’re going to die.”

Shinsou shoots her finger guns, “That’s the plan.”

“Honey...no.”

What did he do to deserve these two? Izuku shakes his head.

Then he overhears a neighboring table’s conversation.

“Are you sure that’s him?” The girl of the two asks, trying her best to not turn in her seat to look at him.

“The info seemed legit. And...I don’t really know what to do if he isn’t.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault that—“

Izuku stops listening. He hadn’t thought much of them when they sat down, but now that he thinks about it, they got here the same time he did. There are no such thing as coincidences, not in his life.

All the tension that’d been leaking out of him since leaving Nighteye’s office returns full force. He makes a show of checking his phone, all the while making a group chat and shooting out a message to Kuroda, Seamstress and Dabi.

Sent 6:21 pm

If I don’t send a text in ten minutes come to my location

Then he clicks on the chat he, Shinsou and Kahiro made ages ago.

  OG 1-C

Sent 6:22 pm

Don’t look. The people next to us are talking about me. They Know.

The moment his friends check their phones, Izuku can see the change in their posture. Shinsou’s face has gone carefully blank, while Kahiro has drawn up her shoulders. Izuku mouths “stay here” and rises from his seat. “I gotta step out for a sec.” he says.