Post Vitam

Chapter 146

Midnight stared at Izuku, clearly panicked by what he had just done. Izuku wasn't stupid, he knew how it would look if he suddenly got rid of All Might with no explanation. Not to mention it was on Live National TV.

The gate he had used hadn't closed, naturally this was deliberately done. Izuku moved it to a vertical position and stuck his head in. There, as expected, was the rat known as All Might keeping himself afloat. He glared at Izuku's disembodied head looking down at him. Izuku chuckled to himself and lifted him out of the water via his telekinesis.

Izuku stood back and pulled at the same time bringing All Might back onto solid ground. He was entirely soaked through and looked embarrassed but otherwise unharmed. He knew he couldn't do what he actually wanted with so many witnesses, a.k.a the entire country watching.

Somewhere in the commotion Izuku had nicked a microphone off of Midnight. "Give it up for All Might folks! Sorry to scare you there, but it wouldn't be much of a coach prank if the coach knew about it! It was because of the staff at U.A that you enjoyed such an excellent display today. If you'll pardon me blowing my own horn there. I'm sure the next two days of the festival will be just as action packed!"

Izuku returned the microphone to the somewhat stunned Midnight who finally seemed to react again. She went ahead with Izuku's lie about a pre-planned prank. Izuku didn't stick around to hear exactly what she was saying. He opened a new gate after closing the first one to the ocean, grabbing Kacchan's hand as he stepped through this one.

The difference in noise level was quite jarring the moment the gate closed behind them. The crowd no longer had a constant droning level of audio pressing on his eardrums. All there was to be heard was the breathing of three different people. Izuku, Katsuki and Nedzu their breathing and the gentle clanging of a teaspoon against a cup. Izuku had gone straight to the chimera. Surprising nobody he seemed to be expecting them, two cups of tea still steaming with warmth awaited them.

"Congratulations on winning Ryuu-san and for taking the second place spot Aizawa-kun."

His tone wasn't anything other than sincere but Izuku still didn't like how the Chimera was trying his best to be all knowing. Granted he was closer to actually pulling it off than anyone ever had been, but it still rubbed him the wrong way.

It did come with some benefits though, like not having to detail everything. He simply looked at Nedzu and said "Explain"

Frustrating and validating Izuku at once, Nedzu knew exactly what he was talking about. "Because of his-." Nedzu was quiet for a moment looking for the right way to word things no doubt. "-current predicament, All Might is quite close to having been forced into retirement. This means the hero commission are scrambling to keep the status quo"

"So despite him having committed murder they would rather the public not panic over losing the so-called symbol of peace"

"Precisely"

Izuku could see why they were doing this, he certainly understood the need to keep up appearances. It's why he played off dunking All Might in the ocean as a prank. Cant have the world know how easy it would be to rid them of the lie that is All Might. The falsehood of having a symbol of peace that achieved that title through genocide. Understanding and tolerating something however aren't the same thing.

Izuku turned his face serious and Nedzu responded favorably by looking mildly more tense. "You should have told me, it's only through pure luck, Kacchan's presence and heavy amounts of therapy that the sniveling worm isn't dead right now."

"You would seriously risk your entire future just for revenge?"

Izuku smirked. "You see it as revenge, I see it as justice... Justice that everyone else is too cowardly to enact. The mere fact that we're having this exact conversation shows how corrupt the system has become. You just need to be ranked high enough and you are effectively above the law."

Nedzu was silent as he took in what Izuku had said, sipping at his tea. Izuku turned to leave but looked back at the chimera. "Keep your show pony on a leash. I won't hold back the next time he tries to kill me." With that Izuku and Katsuki left via the door for once and started the walk back to the dorms.

On the way back Katsuki stepped closer to Izuku. "I'm so proud of you Izu, you've really learned to restrain yourself."

"You think so? I was on the edge of ripping his fur clean off of his skin so many times... I know he's the smartest mammal alive but his effort to look like he does in fact have the answer to any question, it annoys me."

He smirked at Izuku "I know how hard it is to contain the rage and you're so much better at it than me. I couldn't even tell you were angry there. Annoyed, yeah, but I had no idea you wanted to maul the rat."

Izuku chuckled and kiss the hand he was holding "Thanks Kacchan"

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Hitoshi had not moved since he left Monoma's room and somehow managed to make it to somewhere his brain had deemed safe. A bathroom of some descript. He wasn't sure whose it was or where exactly he was on campus.

The disconnect between what he had just done, how he felt about it and what his emotions about it was were vast. It's distance spanning endlessly into nothingness where he somehow felt stuck now.

Just existing, everything being dulled or muted. All color ripped away to be replaced by grays. The deafening pressure of silence pushing away all else. Sharp edges and pins that do not exist insisting otherwise usurping any other type of touch. The only aroma constantly competing with its twin of taste for an echo of it all.

None of that though competed with the sense of guilt. Why he felt like this he didn't know. It wasn't even Monoma's fault either. He chose this and Monoma despite his flippant behavior towards boundaries was gentle. He was understanding, kind and even made sure Hitoshi was okay multiple times.

Everytime he would assure Monoma he was fine despite the opposite being true. He wanted this afterall, wanted to know what everyone always talks about. He wanted to be normal for once in his miserable life. So he had forced himself to push past discomfort, push past the lack of enjoyment.

His body reacted on its own so somewhere some part of him must be okay with it and even want it too. Right? Why was it so difficult to access it then?!

Hitoshi's grip on the sink tightened, making his knuckles whiten with the strain. He noticed his reflection in the mirror and on instinct punched it. The mirror naturally shattered, sending a shard flying across his arm.

The deafening noise of nothing was fading as the color red returned while he watched the blood rise to the surface and collect. The warmth that quickly became cold the further it went down his arm. The faint smell of iron in the air... One small action and he felt again. The world had color and sound again.

Hitoshi hated it when Izuku cut himself even if there was no need to actually worry about him hurting himself. The idea of it all just seemed foreign and extreme to him. He couldn't understand it...

Until now.