Post Vitam

Chapter 156

Izuku is no stranger to nightmares, it could even be said that throughout his life waking up in terror was the only consistency he could depend on. That changed when he finally had a quirk, oh sure he would still dream of the horrors he's lived through. The key difference came from the fact that unlike before the nightmares were just that and nothing more.

He'd grown so accustomed to knowing a nightmare wouldn't be over just because he woke up, that once a nightmare was just a bad dream for him too– Well they didn't hold as much weight as they once did.

He had finally joined the majority of the world who blissfully left their nightmares behind once waking up. These days when he'd be tormented by his mother he'd eventually wake up and realize she can't actually commit her favorite atrocities anymore. He'd shake off the lingering shivers in his spine and go for a breath of fresh air knowing that would fix things.

Tonight however the entirety of U.A would learn that was no longer the case. It was no coincidence that the entirety of the dorm seemed to be under the effects of a localized earthquake, which was of course not actually an earthquake. No, Izuku was currently under the impression that he was back in that alley. Desperately trying to reach and save Iida, his feet firmly stuck in the ground leaving him unable to do anything beyond screaming. Screaming which in the waking world was echoing off of every surface.

This one didn't last long at all though, as Katsuki was already there in the room with Izuku. Seemingly the only one other than Hawks who was able to either wake him up or calm down enough to peacefully sleep.

The first night after the internships had ended was nearly as bad the night Iida had died. Both the U.A dorms and Hawks HQ have had enormous holes made to their structures as Izuku violently woke up still believing he was in a fight with either Nomu or Stain. Hawks HQ coming off a bit worse than U.A did. Hawks said they're using the opportunity to improve the medical ward in case a drastic case of quirk exhaustion ever happens ever again.

Izuku knows however he's just being kind and if he hadn't lost a classmate right in front of him, well he'd certainly be chewing him out for killing Stain.

It became a point of some contention between them when Izuku finally woke up three days after the battle. Izuku insisted that while might have killed him either way, when he did kill him there was no choice. In Izuku's mind it was either Stain or Hawks.

Hawks persists that there's always some other way and that he knows all too well that killing is far too easy. He's grateful for being saved though, which is why he didn't argue with Izuku too hard. To Izuku it just sounds like those are issues Hawks has to sort out with himself. In his mind the only mistake he made was not immediately killing Stain, consequences be damned.

That was a view a few others in 1A shared, though they were far less subtle or friendly about it. Some... Namely Uraraka squarely places the blame for Iida's death on his shoulders and given his recurring nightmare about it, he's inclined to agree with her.

He fully believes Iida's death is his fault. To him he is quite frankly an utter failure, a failure as a friend, as a person and certainly he's a failure as a hero.

He was more alone in that belief though. Everyone, bar Uraraka and he himself thinks he performed wonderfully as a hero. Even those who believe he should've acted sooner with Stain. It certainly didn't help that while the reporter seems to have kept their word about Iida's body... The footage of Izuku and Hawks fighting off a horde of Nomu was on a loop for nearly a week afterwards.

It took the combined effort of Robby pleading, Hawks calling in his dad, Katsuki and Hitoshi, for Izuku not to go and rain actual terror down upon Shigaraki. It's only because of the value he places on a promise that he hasn't gone back on his word each time the news decides to reroll the footage.