Post Vitam

Chapter 114

"It's been over a week already!" Bakugo hissed in frustration

"you think I don't know this?!" Aizawa hissed back at the boy unable to keep his normal composure.

"I- I didn't-" Bakugo stammered out not expecting the tone in Aizawa's voice

Aizawa Sensei cut him off before he could continue "you think I don't know that my son has been gone for over a week already?!" He demanded of the boy giving him a stern look.

He sighed knowing this isn't worth it nor that it was actually Bakugo's fault, though he does have his misgivings about the boy now. "You think I haven't tried everything to find him?" he asked much calmer. He didn't want him to feel like he blamed him, not for this at least. . .

"I didn't mean -" he started up only to be cut off yet again

"No Bakugo you never mean it, do you?"

"what's that supposed to mean?" Bakugo asked confusion crossing his face.

Aizawa didn't answer the question directly instead he glanced towards the newest disaster to plague his son's life. A supposed sister who was "forced" to be his bully. This Izumi seems nice enough but he trusted her as far as he could spit.

Aizawa looked down and spotted who they were waiting for to make an appearance, not that the kids knew why they were in this area. Only that he had a lead on finding Izuku, that lead happened to be an informant broker amongst the homeless who just went into an abandoned building.

He motioned for the kids to get lower "nothing, we need to focus this is a dodgy area and neither of you are licensed heroes, stay put while I check out this building" He said as he effortlessly made his way to the roof of the building he saw the informant enter. The other two barely had a chance to react before he was gone.

As soon as Aizawa was out of earshot Bakugo clicked his tongue "Tch! What the hell was that about?! if he didn't want to bring us he could have said so!" clearly annoyed to stay behind

Izumi smirked "would you really have stayed put bumfuzzle?" she teased

"no, but that's besides the point, he acts like this whole thing is somehow my fault." he redirected the conversation to what was actually bothering him

"I'm sure that's not what he meant, besides I think he's more worried about if I might do something" a sad look spread on Izumi's face as she spoke

Bakugo gave a frustrated sigh "I just wish he'd let it go already, what part of copies from a forced quirk doesn't he get?!"

"It's a hard concept to swallow." Izumi offered

Bakugo shook his head vigorously "not really."

Izumi thought about it for a moment before carrying on "Imagine this then, someone you know is bad, someone who has hurt you. They show up claiming it wasn't them. Even if it's true, they still share the same face. The same voice. To him because of me my quirk was able to hurt his son. Doesn't matter what I wanted, it still happened."

"It's not your fault though!" Bakugo defended

She gave Bakugo a kind smile. "You, Izuku and I know that, but knowing something and feeling it can be two separate things."

"You're out here trying to find your brother!" Bakugo noted angrily 

"He brought me to keep an eye on me, and that's fine as long as we find Izuku." Izumi said keeping her kind smile as an attempt to calm Bakugo down.

Before Bakugo could argue he saw Aizawa make his way back. "here he comes"

Aizawa had barely rejoined in his former spot before Bakugo demanded an answer "Anything?"

He frowned at Bakugo's impatience "Possibly. . . "you grew up in the same area as Izuku right Bakugo? Where was the house he lived in with his mother?"

Bakugo did not expect that at all "What? why?"

Aizawa sighed at having to explain himself to a student but he needed the information "Because I want to go check it out before we commit to yet another false lead based on the rumor network of the homeless."

Bakugo gave it a thought before bringing up an important question "it's been years though, wouldn't it belong to other people by now?"

"Possibly, but as I was trying to find that information the bank informed me he has an estate he can access when he turns 25. I couldn't access it to verify but maybe the house is in his name?" Aizawa hoped aloud

Bakugo nodded "It's worth a try at least, lets go..."

Across town the convenience store clerk was standing about nervously as it was nearly time for it to happen again. For the last four days like clockwork the door would open wide as if to accommodate someone entering. Only nobody would be there. 

The first day he attributed it to a freak wind and thought nothing more of it. That was of course only till he saw how various items on the shelves moved about. Almost as if someone was trying to decide on what to get. He thought it must be someone with an invisibility quirk and went over to confirm by touching the person, thinking it must be a kid trying to steal.

He found only empty air, so he resorted to thermal cameras all shops have nowadays to prevent just such a crime. Nothing. Nobody was there, a fact that was oddly confirmed seeing as nothing had been taken.

The poor clerk thought he must be going mad with boredom, only on the second day he felt a cold spot in the air as he walked about the aisles. If that wasn't enough to freak him out after a night of watching supernatural, the lights started to flicker.

By the third day he was convinced a ghost was after him as he heard a low hum that sounded almost like mumbling after he walked past the same cold spot as the day before. The fourth day had him typing out a resignation when he got home. 

The ghost had whispered his name in his ear causing him to flee the store in terror. His manager deducted a fee from his paycheck for that, seeing as all the aisles were in disarray with items all over the floor when she came in for her shift.

No matter how much he protested that it was a ghost she wouldn't hear about it. She didn't even bother with the recording!! Even if he did quit the store belongs to his Uncle and he'd just end up working there for free. This way he was payed at least, though given this trauma he didn't think it was quite enough.

Just as he thought that yesterday's debacle would be the last of it the door opened on it's own again like it always does now. He nearly screamed but was instead met with the sight of one of the cutest kids he's ever seen. 

He put on he kindest service smile to not scare away the kid "Oh hello there. Can I help you with something?"

His impression of the kid being nothing but cute didn't last long however given how he spoke and the tone in his voice.

"NO"

"oh" the clerk said as his smile faded feeling deflated that someone so cute could be so rude.

"yeah" an annoyed voiced mumbled back

he went to where the cold spot usually is and he found himself almost wanting to give the kid a warning but then he remembered the way he glared at him. Oddly enough he seemed to pick out the very same things that were taken yesterday by the ghost. The kid came up to pay looking slightly less annoyed. He was about to ask him if he found everything he needed when the kid spoke up.

"What time is it?"

"Oh it's-"

The next thing he knew his manager was trying to get his attention.

"Caleb!"

"Earth to Caleb!"

"Hello!"

"Huh? What's going on?!" he asked her quite confused, just a second ago he was talking to - someone. He's sure of it... but who?

His manager shook her head. "Are you on drugs? This is the fifth time i've found you literally drooling staring off into space! If you're Uncle didn't own the store I'd fire your ass so fast dude!"