What a Tragedy

Chapter 19: Exposed Emotions

"Ayyy! Good catch, Midoriya!" He heard Kaminari shout.

"Is he okay?" Sato shouted.

Looking down at the boy cradled in his arms, he noted the small trickle of blood coming from his nose. Izuku stood up from his crouch and turned towards his male classmates. A few of them were staring at Izuku in silence, shook and confused playing on their face.

A few of them looked concerned.

At first he thought they were looking at Kota, but their eyes were very pointedly drawn at his arms and legs.

At his scars.

Izuku opened his mouth to say something. Anything. To explain his scars? They already knew where they came from. Tell them not to worry about it? They would probably worry more. Tell them that he's okay? How can she tell them that if he didn't even know if he was okay himself? He pulled the unconscious child closer as he closed his mouth. Brow pinched in worry, he picked up a downed towel, wrapped it around his waist, and ran out back inside, leaving all the others in silence.

Kota didn't stir once as he wandered the building for Mandalay.  She would know what to do about the boy. And hopefully Aizawa told her about his past situation and she would have more tact than his classmates. Izuku shifted his arms self consciously, moving Kota into one arm as he adjusted the towel around his waist. It felt weird to be so exposed like this.

His skin crawled at the feeling of the cool air around him, nothing to protect him from the indignant stares of others.

Why did it matter so much anyway if he had scars? They weren't that bad. Sure, they ached a bit when it was too cold, but he's gotten used to it. They were a testament to the pain he'd gone through. A show that he survived.

Izuku stumbled as phantom pain shot up his legs. The tile ground felt harsh and the soles and heels of his skinned feet throbbed with the memory of the cruel training he was forced to endure. His mouth felt dry and his vision was swimming. There wasn't enough protection on his arms to keep him safe from oncoming hits or slashes.

The boy in his arms breath made his anxiety halt. Kota was breathing steadily through his slightly ajar mouth. The thin trail of blood from his nose was dried up and slowly flaking off. His face was set in a peaceful expression, without a hint of the anger or aggression he'd shown earlier.

Right.

He had to find Mandalay.

His gait was measured, one foot in front of the other in a slow but reluctant walk. He took deep breaths as he went, trying to focus on where he was and cradling Kota close.

Soon he found a room where he could hear voices from behind the door. They were muffled and he couldn't make out any distinguishable words, but he could still hear Aizawa and Mandalay's voices. What they were talking about, he didn't know, but Kota needed his family. Izuku took a deep calming breath, and knocked on the door.

The voices halted, pausing midsentence.

"Come in!" Mandalay shouted through the door.

Izuku turned the handle and peeked his head inside. Mandalay was sitting on a blue couch in the middle of the room with Aizawa standing next to her, holding one of Izuku's notebooks. They must've been going over the plans for tomorrow. Slowly, he opened the door wider, showing the little boy he held.

"Kota! What happened?" Mandalay panicked. She flew off the couch and ran over to the door, pulling off her paw gloves as she came.

"He fell off the wall between the baths," Izuku explained quietly as Kota was gingerly taken from his arms.

"Thank you," the heroine said as she walked back to the couch.

"It was nothing. He stopped Mineta from peeking over the wall, the least I could do is return the favor." Izuku stepped into the room, hesitating in the threshold. The exposed feeling was back. The feeling of the scars lacing up his legs and torso made his skin crawl as he shuffled his weight.

"Eraserhead told me there was someone in you're class that needed watching. So I sent Kota up to keep watch. Guess it was the right call," Mandalay said as she laid Kota down on the couch, wiping the blood from his nose with a handkerchief she fished from her skirt's pocket. "He's fine. The rush of the fall knocked him out. It's a shame, though. That he hates heroes so much."

If that didn't catch Izuku's attention, he doesn't know what did.

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked cautiously.

"Have you heard of the hero duo Waterhose?"

Izuku nods and tries not to remember how he'd heard of them. It had been a very painful day.

"Kota had only been five years old at the time. How are you supposed to tell a five year old that his parents won't ever be coming home? And everyone around him keeps saying that they had a heroic death without him thinking that they abandoned him?" Mandalay ran her hand over the little boy's forehead, her face pinched in a solemn expression.

Izuku felt a wave of grief fall over him. He looked to the boy on the couch sadly. Sure, he'd met people who hated heroes. He'd been surrounded by them ever since he was little. Cruel monsters who hated society for making them what they are and the heroes who protected it. But he'd never met someone as young as Kota who hated heroes. Especially when his own parents were heroes themselves. It was somewhat of a harsh realization for him.

"He's so young, but holds so much hate. It almost feels like he hates me most of the time."

"Izuku," Aizawa spoke up. He'd been silent through this whole ordeal. Izuku looked up at his guardian and saw the man holding a pensive look. But once their eyes met, the man's face softened. "I think it's time for you and the others to head to sleep. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow. Best you be rested for it."

Nodding, he made his way back to the door, but was stopped by Aizawa once more.

"Izuku." He turned around slowly and the man gave him a delicate smile. "Goodnight."

Dumbfounded, Izuku blinked. He took a deep breath and said softly, "Goodnight."