The curtains add an orange glow to the morning light, a perfect sunrise goes unseen by the teen still curled up on his futon. In the soft golden hue of a new day, Izuku takes a moment to shed the last remnants of sleep from his body. His mind replaying hazy fragments of dreams he can't get himself to remember.
The darkness persists even through his slumber, yet on rare occasions, his mind conjures up images of a time long past. A time of color and light. It's almost cruel, waking up from those dreams.
He takes in the silence around him, relishing for a moment in the slow, rhythmic flow of the world surrounding him. He feels his heart beat at the same slow pace, reminding him that he was in fact, alive and breathing.
He wonders what woke him up, he doesn't have to focus his senses before the answer is presented to him.
It comes in the form of a loud crunching sound coming from the space behind him.
"Finally, you're awake." A voice drawls out, barely concealed annoyance in his tone. Dimly Izuku registers the smell of salty chips. "They told me to let you sleep because you were sick, but I was getting bored so..." Another crunching sound follows his words almost mockingly.
His sleep-addled mind takes a moment to take in his surroundings, however, his senses stretch enough to make out the vague outline of a small body.
"Uh," Is the very articulate response he, in turn, musters.
"Pathetic." The kid practically snarls as he gets up from his crouched position. Crushing the bag of chips in his hand, he tosses it to Izuku's left, as if emphasizing his opinion on the vigilante. "Get dressed or whatever, they're all outside. I'm supposed to lead you there."
What's up with this kid?
"Who are you?" He asks instead, his curiosity winning over the slight pang he feels at the boy's harsh tone.
"None of your-"
"Kota!" A female voice interrupts him before he gets to finish his sentence. Her presence is slightly familiar. Although he can't be quite sure yet, he thinks it's Ragdoll. "Why don't you go play outside while I show Midoriya around?" The boy, Kota, his mind supplies, only scuffs loudly at that, running off before the cat-themed hero can admonish his behavior. He can feel the moment her gaze switches from the kid to his own. He senses the moment her whole body seems to freeze, eyes boring into him with an intensity he can't quite decipher.
A sharp intake of breath makes her chest expand and rise before she seems to relax a moment later, as if willing her body to go back to its previous unconcerned state. It leaves him feeling strangely unsettled and a little bit confused.
"I'm sorry about him, he's always been prickly around new people, and the fact that you came with the hero course students doesn't help." She says not unkindly, her voice apologetic. No indication of the surprise and shock he felt oozing out of her just a few seconds ago.
"Is he your-"He begins, but gets interrupted.
"No," She says, already knowing what he was going to ask. "He's actually Mandalay's nephew. His parents were both heroes, they were killed in the line of duty and she's been looking after him ever since."
"Oh." and he understood now, he really did, the anger that seemed to pool out of that little boy in waves. "I'm sorry to hear that."
The rescue hero only hums at that, letting the silence settles between them as Izuku gathers his stuff to get dressed.
A quick trip to the locker room later, he finds her waiting for him, one arm held out to lead him outside.
______________________________
Aizawa looks at the trees, the winds rustle the leaves with something akin to hesitation. The sun beats down on the asphalt, the hot beams make his eyes squint as he surveys the field. The students are scattered all around. Each one of them already working on improving their powers.
He watches with barely concealed fondness as Izuku is lead to a shaded spot under some of the foliage. Shinsou is already sitting there. Crossed legs folded underneath him as he looks up, hair swaying with the breeze. One would think he was taking a break and relaxing, but Aizawa knew better.
He could see it, even from here, the slight sheen of sweat that trickled down the boy's neck. A small indication of the strenuous mental task he was currently subjecting himself to. Mental quirks were never easy to train.
Izuku settles up next to him comfortably. Their interaction speaks of a deep friendship and a hint of something more. Aizawa wonders how the two met.
He hopes that the kid is happy.
He's about to walk away, maybe check on some of the student's progress. However, his endeavor is waylaid by the cat-themed hero that walks up to stand beside him.
Ragdoll's posture is stiff, nervous, as if she wants to say something but doesn't know what to say.
"I'm sorry about your kid Eraser." She says finally, her tone carrying a gloomy lilt to it. Her gaze is directed at the two teens he, himself was watching just a moment ago, her eyes shine with unspoken pity and sadness. It confuses him immensely, dread dropping in his stomach, heavy and crushing. He didn't think Ragdoll of all people would be this close-minded. "I- I can see his weaknesses..."
"Don't be. His blindness doesn't define him, it isn't something to be sorry for." He states this with a tone he never thought he would direct at a hero. Izuku is strong, one of the strongest kids he knew. The teen was inspiring, he didn't need anyone's pity.
"You misunderstand." She replies simply, her voice makes it sound as if she would rather be wrong. "His weakness... It's- it's not his eyes." At his confused stare, she continues. Her next words shake him to his very core. "It's everything else."
______________________
"Are you alright?" Shinsou asks upon Izuku's arrival, voice tight with concern. "Bakugou and Todoroki told me about last night. If you need to stay in bed today, I'm sure Aizawa won't mind. We can just tell him that you're coming down with something."
"Don't worry so much Shinsou, I'm fine, honestly. The- the episodes are intense but they don't last long. My meds worked just fine. I feel pretty well-rested." He assures, warmth spreading in his chest at Shinsou's clear concern.
"Good, that's good. But still-"
"I'll let you know if something changes." He interrupts, knowing the teen all too well.
"Promise?" Adorable, Izuku thinks, until his own thoughts catch up to him, making his face heat up.
"I-I promise." Wanting to distract the boy, he asks the first question that comes to mind. "So, what's with the sunbathing, aren't you supposed to be training right now?" He jabs playfully, wanting to get a rise out of the brainwasher.
"Sunbathing! For your information I'm in the middle of some seriously intense training" Shinsou cries out indignantly, fist coming up to hit him in the shoulders, no real strengths behind it. His voice takes a different tone a moment later, his determination and seriousness becoming apparent as he speaks. "My quirk, it works as some sort of net, if you want. I cast a net and I sort of, trap someone within it the moment they set it off. Except that Aizawa suggested I try and strengthen my mental image, try and set off the trap without someone's response being the catalyst. Although that last part is probably wishful thinking."
"That's so cool! Do you want to try it with me?"
"I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that yet... but if you're up for it, there's something else I wanted to try." His voice is tentative as if he's somehow ashamed to ask this of Izuku.
"Yeah okay. You know I'd love to!"
"Are you sure? I mean, I'd- I'd have to brainwash you..."
"Of course. I trust you." He says it so plainly, with no trace of any hesitation or reservation. As if stating an indisputable truth. The sky is blue, the earth is round and Izuku Midoriya trusts Shinsou Hitoshi.
If Hitoshi's eyes water slightly, there are no witnesses.
"You didn't even ask me what it was." His awe and amusement are evident in his tone. He can't get himself to care at this point.
"Oh, I- uh right. What was it you wanted to try?"
"I want to see if I can get you to do things you wouldn't be able to do if I wasn't in control. Some of the things might be a little strenuous, and I want to try something that- that might be insensitive."
"You want to try and make me see, don't you?" The question comes out like a statement, Izuku doesn't sound mad though. His voice is low, serious as he contemplates the prospect. The hurt, the confirmation might bring. As Shinsou goes to backtrack and shut down this whole experiment, Izuku beats him to the punch. "Let's do it."
"We don't have to-"
"I want to, I can't not know, now that I- that I think there might be a possibility." His voice is breathy as he says this, as if he can't get himself to quite believe in it. It was a dangerous thing after all. To hope.
"Okay. Are you ready?
"Yeah-"His already pale, milky green eyes turn even whiter. Making his pupils dilate with a white sheen as if a blanket has been draped over them. It takes him a moment for him to stop staring, to stop himself from sinking into them.
"Let's go with something easy to start with." He announces to no one in particular. He wants to order the boy to do a cartwheel, but thinks better of it. The teen was a rooftop scaling vigilante. He doubts any sort of physical activity will come as a challenge to him. "Tell me something in Arabic."
The following silence is proof enough that he can't order him to talk in a language he doesn't know. Izuku already told him once that he wanted to learn some Arabic. It seems he didn't have the time to do it yet.
"Okay...Well, here goes nothing." Breathing in deeply, he imagines the net falling onto the boy in front of him, pictures the way it ensnares him completely, ready to be set off. "I command you to see me."
Colors and light erupt in his mind, a searing pain flaring with an intensity that makes him drop his hold on the teen. Hissing through his clenched teeth he tries to calm his racing heart.
What the hell was that?
When he finally calms down enough to look up, he curses himself for ever suggesting doing this.
Izuku is crouched in front of him, hands tangled in his hair, clutching almost desperately at his curls, nails digging into his scalp as he breathes heavily. Shoulders rising noticeably with each intake of breath.
"Izuku, are you okay?" Panic and guilt rise and threaten to suffocate him as he sees the tears leaking from the vigilante's eyes. "Are you hurt? I'm so sorry!"
"S-Shinsou" Izuku's voice cracks and it breaks something inside of him. Apologies spill out of his mouths, tumbling out of his throat as he tries not to choke on the guilt. "Hitoshi, it's okay, I'm okay."
Hope flares suddenly in his mind, a blooming, treacherous thing. "What- did it w-"
"No, it didn't"
"I don't understand... what happened?"
"I couldn't see, but you- you somehow got me to focus more my senses. It- it was so beautiful Hitoshi, it was like I could feel everything better, it was so clear and vibrant..." Tears once again spring up in his eyes, this time spilling freely as he tries to make sense of this.
"I hurt you though." Before Izuku could refute this, he plows on. "I know I did Izuku, I- I felt it. Your pain."
"It was just overwhelming, that's all..."
"Are sure you're okay?"
"Yes. Yes, I'm...I'm perfect."
___________________________________
Nightfall comes with a whisper of flawless black. The classes gather at the edge of the clearing, anticipation flows in the air like static, charging their bodies with eager energy at the challenge they'll soon be facing.
Izuku's eyes follow their heat signature despite the distance between them. Currently perched on the mountainside, a small hidden cliff that overlooks the whole forest.
He's not surprised when Kota suddenly comes up behind him. The boy is angry, he can sense it, feel it in the way his body is tense, fist clenching at his sides.
"Why are you here? How did you find this place?" The kid practically shouts as he marches towards him.
"I kind of just wandered here by mistake." Izuku decides it's in his best interest to lie for now.
"You're going to fall if you step any closer you idiot!" And isn't that surprising? The kid's worried.
"Don't worry Kota, I won't fall." He tries to reassure the boy, his voice light and low as the wind ruffles the leaves around them.
"Tsk, I'm not worried." The boy grumbles as he kicks a rock, making it tumble a few steps in front of him and finally fall off the side of the mountain. The kid turns to storm off, probably wanting to get away from Izuku.
"Wait!" He shouts after him, and then" Wait." A little lower, when Kota actually stops and turns to face him again. "I wanted to tell you that- that I understand. Why you're angry, about your parents, I mean." The kid sucks in a sharp breath, readying to shout again, but Izuku plows on before he's given the chance. "I'm an orphan too, I understand. You're, you're angry at the world, right? The heroes, everyone, Because- because why did it have to be them, right? Why you? Believe me... I- I understand." He tries to convey his sincerity, the depth of his emotions in these two last words. Begging for the boy in front of him to realize how true his words ring in his heart.
Kota's shoulder slump as if he's letting go of a crushing weight. His feet falter and his hands unclench at his side. Signs of the internal battle, he surely was fighting within himself.
However, before the kid even gets to utter a single word, Izuku is already running towards him. Senses flaring to life, heartbeat frantic to his own ears as he finally notices the intruders spreading throughout the camp, going after the students gathered contained in it. More precisely the one he feels rushing towards their own location.
Tackling the boy, they tumble into the bushes at the far edge of the cliff, concealed by the shadows of the rocks hanging off the side of the mountain, he waits.
Kota struggles in his grip, scared and not really understanding Izuku's actions. Not wanting the boy to give away their location, he covers his mouths with his hand, praying that the villain currently coming towards them doesn't have some kind of enhanced senses.
"It's okay." He whispers, trying his best to keep his voice steady. "I'll explain later, but for now, you have to stay quiet."
Just as he finished uttering the words, heavy footsteps resounded from the place they were just standing at.
A big, muscular man strides into view, his built alone suggests the power nature of his quirk. His position, however, puts him directly in the way of their escape route. The only way leading to the house.
He'll have to either wait him out or use this to his advantage in order to take him down. Knowing his previous track record, the decision is relatively easy to make.
He hears Kota's breath hitch beside him, feels the way his heart rate practically skyrockets the moment the villain removes the mask adorning his face.
He can't let Kota get hurt, no matter what.
Rising from his crouched position, he readies himself for a surprise attack. However, the hand that catches his sleeve as he moves makes him pause.
"What are you doing? You can't fight him! You're blind!" Kota whispers hastily, quickly catching on to Izuku's intentions.
Removing his glasses, Izuku tries his best to give the boy a reassuring smile. As if donning on a metaphorical mask, his Shadow persona takes over.
"Trust me. No matter what, I'll keep you safe." This, he will never doubt. Making quick work of ripping a part of his sleeve, he ties it around his eyes, pulling up his hoodie over his hair. Cursing his lack of foresight for not bringing his suit to the clearing. Luckily though, he has his cane.
Making sure to stay as quiet as possible, he retracts his cane, splitting it into its familiar form. Depending on the villain's quirk, he'll probably have to use the electric functions Ryuu made sure to install in them.
"You can't! That's the villain who- who killed my mum and dad! He'll kill you too!"
Before he can even think of a response, a shadow looms over them.
"Look what we have here! Two new things to play with!" The man laughs, voice boisterous, almost manic. Dread immediately pools in his stomach as he realizes he's missed the opportunity to take the villain off guard. "None of you are on the list, so I can take my time with you! Can you remove that bandana though, I have to see your face to make sure-"
Not letting the man continue his tirade, Izuku launches himself at the man. Escrima rod coming down to strike him on the side of the head, just as he swipes his legs from under him.
The villain sways in place and stumbles but doesn't fall, a hysteric laughs erupting from his throat as his hand comes up to rub at his face, at his split lip. As if he's almost amused by Shadow's attack.
"Oh! I recognize you! You're the vigilante Shigaraki can't stop whining about! He wants you dead you know! I'll have fun tearing you apart! But first, do you know where I can find a kid called Bakugou?"
Pushing Kota until he's a few more steps behind him, he runs once again at the villain. He doesn't expect the figure in front of him to suddenly expand. As if his skin is ripping and letting strands of- is that muscle?- grow in its place.
It takes him off guard for less than a second but it's plenty of time for the man to take advantage of his distraction. The punch hits him with a force that takes the air right out of his lungs. Effectively launching him into the side of the mountain, jagged rocks digging into his back as he smashes bodily into it.
He hears Kota cry out, but decides to focus on the fight for now.
"I'm disappointed kid, I thought you'd be harder to beat. It looks like I'll be dealing with your little friend there sooner than later."
Getting his legs back under him, he straightens up, hissing at the pain that erupts in his arm and his back. Taking in a shuddering breath and letting it out slowly, he tries to calm down. He needed to focus. He couldn't lose this fight. Kota's life was on the line.
The power behind the hit and the sudden expansion of the man's figure coupled with Kota's reaction to the villain makes him think that he's dealing with muscular. The villain who took down the hero duo; Water hose, all those years ago.
"I won't let you hurt him. As long as I'm alive, you won't touch him." He grits out, venom spilling from his words as he tries to come up with a plan.
His Escrima rods could take down a horse if he leveled the electrical charge high enough. He just had to get a good hit in.
It was easier said than done, though.
Muscular doesn't wait for him to charge this time, instead, he launches himself. His speed is inhuman as he rushes at him, his form almost flickering in Izuku's radar.
Jumping out of the way, he dodges and flips his body until he's positioned once again between the man and Kota.
The next time Muscular charges at him, he's ready. He sees the opening just as the man's fist goes up to punch him. The rod never makes contact though. A hand catches his wrist before it can. Muscular lifts him up and off the ground, legs dangling in the air, suspended by the man's tight hold. He's squeezing so hard his senses pick up the cracks as they begin to form on his abused bones. His eyes watering from the pain, intense and agonizing as he feels his bones give under the pressure. He tries to focus on the villain, the heat that erupts from the electricity currently charging through the stick, buzzing with life despite having missed its target.
He could still do this, he just needed-
"STOP! LET HIM GO!" The shout takes both of them by surprise, Kota's high pitch shout makes his heart break. His voice cracks as he continues. "YOU KILLED THEM! MY PARENTS! IT WAS ALL YOU'RE FAULT!"
Muscular says something, but Izuku doesn't pay the conversation any mind. Instead, he uses the man's distraction to his advantage. Letting go of the stick in his confined hand, he catches it with his other. Immediately going in for the hit as soon as it settles in his grip.
The following electric charge goes through them both, his body tensing under the bolts of energy. His teeth clenching as he tries to stay conscious.
The force, having been split between the two of them, isn't as strong as he would've liked it to be.
It does give him an opening, though. The moment Muscular lets go of him, in his rush to put distance between them, Izuku strikes again. His other hand snatching the second rod from the ground, where he'd involuntarily dropped it earlier. He doesn't let himself rest, or catch his breath. For, in doing so, he'd also be giving it to his opponent. Instead, he rushes at the man. The second rod effectively makes contact with his side.
The charge takes him head on this time, his whole body convulsing under the electrical current, the smell of burning muscle reaching Izuku's nose.
Muscular goes down hard after that, just as the buzzing fades and the energy dies down. His body makes a loud thud as he drops, dust filling the air around them.
It takes everything in Izuku not to collapse then and there.
The only thing keeping him going is the worry he feels for the class as his senses stretch and expand. Allowing him once again to spot the figures running through the forest. Heartbeats, elevated and erratic as they fight for their lives.
The league of villains was here, they were after Kacchan, they were after his friends.
Izuku won't let anyone get hurt this time. He was going to protect them, no matter what.