"So... Wanna tell me anything?" Kirishima had no desire to know anything specific other than to know the general reason his friend was in prison, and he liked not to pry if he could help it. He was interested to know what boiled over and caused Katsuki to screw up.
"Shitty hair, I already told you, I choked a detective by his neck and got put behind bars, they were probably gonna make me stay a month if I wasn't bailed out." The blonde groaned like a spoiled kid and continued to type something on his phone, playing upset with his signature angry look, and grimacing at the video on his screen.
"Alright... Not much to go off of. Where have you been staying these few days anyway?" Kirishima had better things to focus on, he couldn't drill out info with his eyes and mind on the road, twisting the stirring wheel and looking out for any incoming cars were his present concerns.
"Motels," Katsuki answered, Kirishima noticed his friend's leg was anxiously tapping along and catching his attention, this wasn't normal behavior from what he could tell after spending high school with his bro for three years.
"You know, you should have told me... I could have helped. We're friends, we have to be there for each other bro."
"Yeah, I know... Just got, stuff on my mind."
Kirishima took his eyes off the road for a split second to see what was causing Katsuki to act abnormally, he couldn't tell much but it looked like a recording of someone's home and two people in it, so he asked, "Also, what are you watching?"
Katsuki's eyes twitched and his expression soured like he had tasted something so bitter, he couldn't hide it, not that he would. He switched off the phone and replied, "Just some loser on the internet I have to find. Think you could help me?"
"Oh...? Um, sure yeah, I want details though, who are we trying to find?"
"The fucker who burned down my house."
----
Breaking news, there is a video circulating the internet of Ground Zero manhandling an unidentified woman and disappearing with her, the agency is arguing that it's a deep fake and a private video. The recording was published a few days back by a user named Aoi, and people have been speculating that it's a stalker or a reporter who stumbled upon this incident and captured it. There's no concrete proof at the moment.
Izuku eyed the television.
Hearing and understanding the situation Kacchan was in, normally, he would be worried, but now he doesn't care what happens, he hasn't told her anything related to Katsuki, the video, the online riots, the growing skepticism between heroes and civilians, Aoi having posted that video, it wasn't hard to assume she was going for everybody's neck who were involved with Katsuki.
"What do you think about the video? Is it real? Should we be worried that a hero is using his power for worrying deeds?" One of the reporters questioned a guest on screen and izuku never liked it, the more he grew accustomed, he came to know that these commenters were saying things they were paid to.
Biased opinions made for their benefit.
"Yes, we should be! If what we see is true, then by all means he should be taken into question and not allowed to roam free!"
"Indeed, some people do not believe the video is real, we have got his agency claiming it is a private video and a violation of his privacy."
"Whatever the case, heroes should be held accountable too! We should have learned that after everything we have witnessed. They cannot be given absolute confidence until proven to be trustworthy."
"Oh! A private video? Do you think Ground Zero has a girlfriend or something? I haven't seen a single article discussing his love life but suddenly that video was released."
"Oh! Oh! Do you think he likes kinky stuff?"
Izuku should have been amazed when he heard the fangirls behind him unbothered by anything else. Katsuki had earned himself some hardcore fans after he debuted and since then, his admirers have only increased.
Picking up his cup, he sipped some coffee and tried not to focus on anything.
That was until his phone rang and he forgot everything about ignoring any sounds, answering his phone he loosened his stiff posture and vaguely smiled.
"I'm at the cafe, don't worry I'll be back soon. Are you ready to go?" he peered down at how much liquid remained in the cup, debating if he should leave it and go to her side right away.
"What? You heard something?" he furrowed his eyebrows, "clicks? Oh no, it isn't anyone clicking pictures, the apartment has these sounds for some reason, nobody should be able to reach the fourth floor without anybody noticing."
"Yeah." he nodded to the waiter, wordlessly thanking him for the coffee and walking out of the shop with her still on the other line talking to him.
"They'll find wherever the tracker is. I know them, they won't tell anybody."
Good thing he was nearby, he couldn't make her wait longer than he must.
"Alright, I'll be there."
-
"Allow me to explain, you can have a tracker be active for a couple of years if it isn't damaged and if it is waterproof. Yours, though simple had both features, I'm guessing you didn't notice it thanks to the design similar to your earrings."
She rubbed her earlobes and looked at the tracker in the inventor's hand, "Can you get rid of it right now?" she asked, fidgety knowing if he was tracking her down, he would be close by or at least seen her last location.
"Can it keep track of where the victim has been going?" Izuku inquired holding his chin and observing the device closer after he held out his palm and had it handed to him.
"Hmm, seems like the latest and customized version so it is possible, especially if there's an app that sends the user all the info."
Her eyes widened and she remembered that he had his phone out while tracking her down, "He... He- does." she muttered and got up from her seat, too nervous to sit still and let him catch her off-guard she's not letting that happen again. Her eyes drifted to the corner and then the exit, anticipating some kind of ambush.
"Then, I'd suggest you either break it or throw it somewhere far from wherever you live, even if you destroy it, the previous data will have already been fed into the user's phone."
"So... Does that mean he knows where I am...?" she whispered to herself and he heard it.
"No, no he does not, he thinks you died in that accident and probably doesn't have the time to have thought of checking the tracker first." Izuku quickly explained before she could slip into a nervous frenzy and have another meltdown.
"Then it's a good thing you decided to get it removed, scary ex-boyfriends are no joke."
"Yeah, I have an idea. But I'll need your help [Y/N]." She looked at him and asked him to continue, "I'll need something that proves to him that you are dead, is there anything he knows or was there anything special that only you and he would know?"
"There were many things... But I guess, maybe cutting off one of my fingers? That would-"
"No, nothing that will harm you more than you've already endured, is there anything else?"
"I... I don't know, there wasn't anything specific to me or him. But this still doesn't help! I was at your place the entire time you saved me and now here, he'll figure everything out!" she knew she shouldn't panic and she tried but it didn't help. She had to leave.
"Calm down..." he turned her toward him and held onto her shoulder, hoping to get her attention off of observing every window and vent, worrying right now wouldn't help.
"This is a critical moment, I need you here with me. Yeah?" Izuku softly uttered.
"Okay..." she nodded.
----
"Since you both are here, let me just say this." Cameron and Teo stood behind the woman and didn't so much as move a muscle while hearing her speak, they would know being called in like this wasn't for any good reason.
"Mr. Cameron, you took the closed case and continued to investigate and interrogate your suspect, and it would be common sense to get the case reopened before you took any action, you've violated the rules. Both you and your partner." she finished with a stern tone.
"You didn't give us much of a choice." Argued the man, glaring down at the seated woman staring back at them.
"I wasn't allowed to disobey my elder's rules, ma'am," Teo answered, figuring if he was losing his job or getting his license revoked, he'd go down with some fight.
"Which is why you earned yourself some much-needed rest for 5 months, both of you, this is the lightest sentence I've given to anybody. You won't be able to use your license to investigate any further. If you've still not understood the consequences, you can be fired."
"We're about to get fired for doing our job?!" Teo eyes opened wide and kept his mouth ajar staring at their superior.
"Okay, sure go ahead and fire us." Cameron challenged, folded his arms, and frowned down. "Wait, hold on, I took some of the hardest tests not for it to go down the drain!" Teo retorted, facing the man with a troubled expression and a weaker resolve to stay loyal in the face of expulsion.
"Mr. Cameron, I understand this must be hard on you considering your daughter is still missing and this was the best case in tracking her down, I gave you this case especially for that reason, but I think you shouldn't tread down this path, it's for your good."
"Don't pity an old man like me and give me hope when all you corrupted fools flush down my work."
"I do apologize, there's nothing I can do."
Indicating the conversation was done and the words had been said, Cameron swiftly walked out the door and didn't look back and Teo shortly after followed him, "Hey! Let's just hope this all was a wild goose chase you and I went on, that way-"
"Son." The man stopped and turned his face to the young man behind him, "If you keep letting others push you, that'll be your entire life."
"No, I get it! I'm just trying to make sure you are okay and maybe you are not taking this badly and I'm just guessing at this point." he continued, inexperienced to decipher the raw emotion on the man's face, he rubbed his arm, "I can help you, find your daughter."
"I appreciate your concern. But I don't need your sympathy son. I fear that my... daughter might already be dead."
"How long has she been gone?" Teo asked. A detective would know time was vital in finding a missing person.
"4 years."
And the saddest of smiles blossomed on his face.
The ride home was quiet and she felt a little safer now that the tracker was gone she felt hopeful, she looked out the car window and felt like she could breathe freely now, look at everything how she used to, and not think of a strategy to run or hide, or how she'd get her hands on a knife.
She could feel a smile on her face, and her eyes didn't hurt from all the crying she used to, there was nothing wrong in the world, and she wasn't a nobody just waiting to be slaughtered.
But, the space started to seem small, and a touch she felt on her thigh gave her every reason to think about who used to do that to her, and she didn't have to think far, she knew.
"You kept avoiding me." why did his voice sound so close and threatening? Isn't she supposed to be away from him?
"How did that end up for you?" His voice was just as she remembered. On the night of the kidnapping, she knows this happened to her.
"You've always liked me. You just don't know when to give up." Is there anything she could do to get out of his car? She has to get out!
"Look at me!!" his hands shoot out toward her and it's so close to her face just as the time he forced his palm on her mouth when she tried calling for help, and he kept nearing her, and she couldn't help herself-
"[Y/N]!! Hey?" she opened her eyes from her vivid dream and locked eyes with Izuku, she recalled coming back and falling asleep after she came home and she fell asleep thinking of the child growing inside of her, her body kept a record of all that happened to her and it kept reminding her.
"You should come and have your breakfast."
She recognized even meals in the morning reminded her of him.
GuysSSSS, should I make a playlist for this book? If yes then, which songs would you recommend?