Rejected Stones

Snakes in the Grass

Beta'd by kylekatarn77 and Poliamida

53. Snakes in the Grass

Those who tread among serpents, and along a tortuous path, must use the cunning of the serpent.

-Thomas Becket

"Morning, Tenya," Izuku said, yawning as he sat down at the breakfast table. "Um, sorry, I mean afternoon I guess." It was just a little after noon, but Izuku's schedule was so mixed up he had a hard time keeping things straight most of the time.

"Either way," Iida chuckled. "Ready for our patrol today?"

"Yeah, I was surprised when Ochako asked me to switch with her. Is everything you know, OK?" Izuku asked, feeling a bit intrusive as he asked. Still, he felt he was close enough now with Iida that he wouldn't take offense. Really, aside from Mei, everyone in Class 1A felt more like a sibling or cousin than a simple schoolmate or college at work. It was odd, considering in his previous classes Izuku had been a pariah.

"Yes, I think she's simply worried about Bakugo. She said they both had the day off and she wanted to get to spend a little time with him," Iida explained.

Izuku nodded in understanding. "They've gotten really close, haven't they?"

"Yes," Iida agreed, going slightly flush as he played his bowl natto.

"Something wrong?" Izuku asked. "Things OK between the two of you?"

"Yes, it's just, well, I seem to have missed an opportunity. A lack of initiative on my part. Ah well. It's likely for the best, anyway," Iida explained, and went back to eating as he read the morning paper. A real newspaper, as it happened; Iida seemed to prefer the feel of real paper in his hands instead of a phone like Izuku used. The headline was about another person losing their quirk after an overdose on the new drugs on the street. Izuku grimaced. For all their touting of "Meta Abilities" the MLA had managed to cause a lot of harm to people with their supposed quirk-enhancing drugs.

Sensing that further prying was unwelcome, Izuku changed the topic. "You think the arrest will go well today?"

"It should, though like you I would prefer to be along for it, instead of going out on another patrol. Our route won't even take us close to the justice department. I wanted to see those bastards pay," Iida complained.

"We should be done right as they make the arrest actually. Maybe we could join Mei and some of the others in the control room to watch it go down," Izuku suggested. "That should be interesting at least."

"I suppose. I would have liked to deal with this Hanabata myself." Iida's normally friendly face twisted into a snarl of rage. "Jail is too good for him. I hope he resists arrest so that Endeavor can do the same thing to him that Ochako did to Chikazuka."

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then he slowly nodded. Iida hadn't spoken of what he'd seen, but Hagakure had been with him, and Izuku had found her crying with Hari a few times. He grimaced and nodded.

"I don't think it's our job to be the judge, jury, or executioner, but I understand," Izuku said quietly, putting his metal hand over Iida's fleshy one. "Just be careful. Don't let them turn you into what they are."

"Yes. You're right of course, I just..." Rage slowly leaked from Iidas eyes, and he looked down, trembling slightly. "What those people, no, those monsters did in that tower...nothing could ever make it right."

"More evil won't cause good. As hard as it is...we really do have to be the pillars of peace," Izuku said, looking down at his own hands. "There's a price to pay for that, I know."