A/N: So sorry this is late, guys! T_T Time honestly got away from me and I worked an 8 hour shift yesterday on 0 hours of sleep (I hate insomnia... Some days, I swear I'm actually Shouta reincarnated, just ask my dry eye), and then when I went to bed last night (more like yesterday afternoon) I slept for 12 hours before getting up for my shift at 5:30AM. Haha...
The joys of having 2 jobs and a grand total of (maaaaybe) 3 days off each month. At most. Haha. Shoot me in the foot. Maybe then I can stay home and write for a bit? XD Anyhow, sorry about leaving you all on such a cliffhanger, so here's the update~! Enjoy!!
Chapter 6: First Patrol
Shouta sat next to Inko and Hizashi by Izuku's bedside. He'd given his statement to Detective Tsukauchi and then proceeded to camp himself next to his student's hospital bed. Luckily, it was the weekend, so he didn't have to worry about classes.
He'd known something was wrong when Izuku wasn't early for his training. He was always early. But he didn't do anything at first. It was entirely possible that he'd gotten caught up with something after school. But his gut clenched when their agreed time came, and Izuku did not.
Hizashi had been just as concerned, and followed him. Izuku hadn't answered his phone, nor read his texts. Something was wrong, and Shouta's heart tightened at the thought of finding his student hurt—or dead.
Shouta locked his phone onto Izuku's phone's signal, tracking the location. At first, nothing seemed amiss. No worrying sounds or flashy explosions. Everything seemed normal. But the moment they neared an alleyway, normality shattered.
Izuku's agonizing screams would haunt both his and Hizashi's nightmares for years to come. Shouta had never run so fast in his life, and the moment he caught sight of some kid with his hand wrapped around the neck of his student, he activated his Quirk.
The screams cut short, and Shouta wasted no time in taking care of the attackers (with no small amount of fury, and absolutely no mercy). The police were notified and an ambulance was called.
There were bloodstains where Izuku had cracked his head off the brick wall. For a moment, he was scared that they'd been too late. The way his student had fallen abruptly limp as soon as Shouta had erased whatever that kid's Quirk was, made him fear the worst.
But then he'd seen the green haired boy's eyes try to follow and track his movement, and Shouta let out a sigh of relief. He's alive.
He'd been terrified, seeing how out of it his student was. He and Hizashi both were. Shouta insisted on going with Izuku in the ambulance. As a hero, he was allowed to do so (usually because the people they save need to know that they're still safe, and most of the time the best way to do that is to have the hero that saved them stay with them).
The moment Izuku actually passed out as he was rushed to the ER scared Shouta more than he was willing to admit. It downright terrified him. And then Inko came rushing in not twenty minutes later, crashing into Hizashi's chest with a terrible sob.
Thoughts spun around Shouta's head, as they waited for the news. This was my fault. Someone was targeting him because of my training. Because of me...
"Hey." Hizashi placed a hand on his shoulder, his eyes holding that same guilty weight. Before anyone could say anything more, the doctor came out. The three stood.
"We found no internal damage, aside from the concussion. Our scans found nothing abnormal, but we'll check again when he wakes up. Other than that, he's expected to make a full recovery, though he may have some minor nerve damage. The extent of that... well, we can't know for sure until he wakes up. You may go in and see him, now."
Shouta let out a sigh of relief, as did his companions, as they went in.
It's been nearly a day, now, and Shouta was refusing to sleep. No matter how much Inko worried over him (which he found sweet), he wanted to be awake when Izuku woke up.
So he was the first to see it when the kid's eyelids twitched. Inko was sleeping on the other side of Izuku's bed, and Hizashi had gone on a coffee run for them.
"Aizawa?" He groaned as his eyes blinked open, unfocused and tired. Shouta released a heavy breath as he felt a great weight drop off his shoulders.
"Hey, Problem Child. How do you feel?" He kept his voice low and gentle, not wanting to wake Inko.
"You look like crap." Izuku pointed out dryly with a wince. Shouta grabbed a glass of water with a straw and carefully helped him drink. "Thanks."
"You've been out for a day. We've been worried. Do you remember what happened?"
"Y-yeah... Four third years cornered me... and then you and Hizashi saved me." He smiled softly, though there was a small amount of bitterness to his smile. "I'm sorry. You must be disappointed in me."
Shouta stared. "Illogical. Why would I be disappointed? Everyone needs help from time to time, even pros. If you think this changes anything, you're wrong."
"B-but I couldn't even fight back."
"Then we'll work on getting stronger. I'll teach you more techniques to help you. This wasn't your fault, Izuku." He didn't know when he started using his student's given name, but it just sort of... happened. And it stuck. Even Hizashi did it.
"A-Aizawa-sensei..."
"It's only Aizawa-sensei during lessons." He corrected. "It's Shouta, kid."
Damnit, that smile was too bright to be legal. I should've had Hizashi grab my sunglasses.
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The month after that was spent mostly working on the kid's analysis skills. Shouta and Hizashi didn't want to push him physically, though he could tell the kid was getting frustrated with the lighter workout routine. Luckily, he didn't have any real nerve damage, aside from the occasional shaky hand, so that was one good thing.
Shouta had honestly been unsure of continuing to teach Izuku. The kid could've been permanently crippled because of his connection to him, after all. He was lucky he got away with minimal damage. Hizashi and Inko (surprisingly enough) managed to convince him to keep teaching Izuku.
"If you leave now, he'll never recover. You'll break his spirit." Inko had argued. "You swore to protect Izuku. If you leave, I will never forgive you."
Those words had hurt him more than he'd admit. Shouta didn't know when it happened, but Inko had become a very good friend of his—almost like how he'd imagine a sister to be like.
Shouta invested himself even more in the kid after that, and either himself or Hizashi made sure to keep an eye on Izuku from the time he left home to the time he reached training, whenever they could. If their presence in his life was going to paint a big red target on his back, then they were going to make damn sure this kid could fight back if he needed to, because they did not want a repeat of the Alley Incident.
Shouta had noticed the way the kids at school looked at him, but since Izuku remained stubbornly silent and refused to point out his bullies, Shouta could do nothing to intervene. The most he could do was give Izuku more tools to use to protect himself.
So Shouta taught him intimidation techniques to scare them off, evasive techniques to give them the slip, and even stealth techniques to hide from them. All the while working on his fighting skills so if he ever needed to, he could give them their karma tenfold.
And Izuku took after these skills with a vigor that had him grinning.
It was getting colder, now that November was here. It also marked six months that he'd been training Izuku. Four months of combat training, three months of weapons training, and two months of stealth, intimidation and evasive training. Izuku was already making leaps and bounds in confidence, and the two had grown fairly close to one another.
Sometimes, Hizashi would call Izuku a 'Minizawa', much to Shouta's annoyance. Just because the two would nap together on occasion, and the kid was slowly learning to mimic Shouta's expressions... and had a newfound love of coffee... and cats...
"Morning." He greeted as he came into the kitchen. Inko and Hizashi were already cooking breakfast, as Shouta and Hizashi had spent the night again. Long patrols sometimes made it easier to just crash at their friend's apartment. Inko gave them copies of the key to the apartment ages ago (much to Shouta's internal horror—the man tried to refuse, but Inko always got her way). And honestly, by this point, Inko had pretty much given them their own bedroom, right across the hallway from Izuku.
Speaking of, the Problem Child was seated at the kitchen counter with his own cup of coffee and a sleepy smile. "Morning Shou." He yawned, giving Shouta a one-armed hug, which Shouta returned with his customary hair-ruffle.
"Good morning, Problem Child." He smiled softly.
"Zuku~ How'd you sleep, Little Listener?" Hizashi must not have heard Izuku enter the room earlier, then. He was getting much better at stealth.
"Well enough." Izuku yawned again, taking a long drink from his mug.
"So you slept like Shouta, then." Hizashi deadpanned, making Inko giggle.
"You really should take better care of yourself, both of you." Inko placed her hands on her hips as she sent Shouta and Izuku a reprimanding glare. "Honestly, how do you expect to do any hero work if you can hardly keep your eyes open?" She turned her attention to Shouta. "Maybe one day I'll throw out the coffee?"
"You wouldn't." He narrowed his eyes, internally gasping in horror. He knew she would. Even Izuku gave out a cry of horror. He'd grown addicted to the dark bitter substance over the months he's spent under Shouta's tutelage (and no, Zashi, that was not Shouta's fault!!).
"Keep neglecting your sleep, and you'll find out." She promised, and he held back a shiver. Inko was scary. And his traitorous husband was laughing at him. At least Izuku was on his side. "I swear, one day you'll both turn into raccoons with those bags under your eyes." She shook her head fondly.
"Mom..." Izuku sighed. "You should know by now that Shou's a cat, not a raccoon."
Shouta shot him a mild glare. "Traitor."
"I'm as much a cat as you." Izuku stuck out his tongue. "I'm just making sure you know we're the same species."
"Now, boys, that's enough." Inko smiled as she set down their plates of breakfast before them. "Eat up or you won't have any strength for training today."
"Actually, I wanted to try something new." Shouta smirked as they ate, and he could practically see Izuku's interest perk up. "I wanted to take you on a small patrol tonight with me and Zashi. Unofficially, of course. No fighting. But I want you to see how it works."
Izuku's eyes lit up in excited awe. Shouta knew that this was a very big step in their training. It was more than just fighting in a warehouse, or playing hide-and-seek or tag in the abandoned district at the edge of town.
This would be a solid step towards becoming a real hero. He'd already run the idea by Inko and Hizashi, of course, and the two were all for it.
"I... Is that really allowed?!" Izuku looked towards Inko for permission.
"Don't look at me, Mr. hero-in-training." She giggled. "It's your decision."
"Yes! I would love to!" Izuku beamed, and Shouta smirked.
"Good. Then today, we'll practice your stealth and free running. You'll need them tonight."
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The night couldn't come quickly enough for Izuku. He was vibrating with excitement, and Shouta and Hizashi couldn't hide their fond smiles.
Aizawa-sensei had been very clear on what he was and wasn't allowed to do. So long as he stayed in their sights, he was fine. He was not allowed to engage in any form of combat for any reason other than to save his own life. Even if Shouta or Hizashi were hurt badly—highly unlikely, they'd said, but still a possibility—he was supposed to run to safety and phone the police.
Because engaging meant he'd be labeled a vigilante. And that meant he couldn't continue to be Shouta's student. And that would break Izuku's heart.
So he vowed to follow that rule. No fighting. Period.
As he took to the rooftop with Shouta (Hizashi taking the street level because he was a wuss about heights), he felt exhilaration. He was allowed to carry his sai in the case of emergencies only, and was dressed in an all-black jumpsuit, very similar to Shouta's.
Shouta had had it made especially for him, and that made him feel warm and fuzzy. It was a solid reminder of the faith that he had in him.
They were only an hour into their patrol when Shouta stopped, head tilted as if listening. Izuku followed his example, quieting his movements and breathing to listen.
He didn't hear anything, though, and looked at Aizawa-sensei in confusion. His sensei gestured him to follow as they ran towards the sound.
Hizashi and Shouta had been teaching him sign language as a form of silent communication (and so he could communicate with Hizashi's parents if he ever met them, as they were deaf).
'Stay here. Observe only.' Shout—Eraserhead signed to him. Izuku nodded. He stuck to the shadows of the roof, careful of his silhouette, as he watched Eraserhead jump down into the alleyway where a woman was being mugged.
It was over in a matter of seconds, and Izuku made a mental note of how Eraserhead used the skills Izuku himself had been learning in a real combat situation.
"You can come down, now." Eraserhead called down to him, after he'd secured the enemies and made sure the woman was unharmed. She'd already left the alleyway, and the muggers were out cold.
Izuku carefully made his way down. "What did you notice?" Eraserhead asked, looking at Izuku out of the corner of his eye.
"I recognized the way you fought... the techniques you've been teaching me... And how you adapted according to the enemy. You hit hard and fast, and it was over before they even realized you were there." He thought for a moment. "Back on the roof... you heard something, but I didn't hear anything at all."
"It's natural. A lot of underground pros have to develop this kind of keen hearing. Yours will develop over time. That's another reason for you accompanying me on these patrols. You'll get to observe not only my technique, but the fighting techniques of villains, too. Observe. Absorb. Learn. Adapt. You will continue to evolve as a hero with each new experience. I want you to watch and study the people I fight just as much as you watch me during our training. Start planning ahead. What would you do if you were the one fighting?"
"Right!" Izuku grinned, and he caught the briefest of smiles ghost across Eraserhead's face. The difference was subtle. As Eraserhead, he was a lot more guarded, and his emotions were always hidden.
"Eraserhead. Good to see you again." Detective Tsukauchi spoke up, as he came over to apprehend the muggers. He raised an eyebrow at Izuku.
"He's observing only. Tsukauchi, this is Midoriya Izuku, my personal student. Izuku, this is Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa."
"Personal student?" He blinked in surprise.
"Yes. That's why Mic's on patrol with me tonight."
"Ah, I wondered about that." The Detective nodded in understanding. "So long as he doesn't fight, I see nothing wrong with him accompanying you." He smiled at Izuku.
"Hai!" Izuku grinned, and for a brief moment, the Detective wondered if Izuku's Quirk was something light-based, because he swore the alleyway was suddenly brighter with that grin.
After that, the two went back to their patrol. Twice, he'd had the pleasure of seeing Present Mic's fighting style and he mentally nerded out.
They'd taken a short shift that night. 9pm-1am. Four hours. But it was some of the most tiring four hours Izuku had ever had. Maybe it was the hour. Maybe it was the excitement of something so new and so heroic, but by the time they got off shift, the boy was ready to fall asleep on his feet.
Shouta chuckled as Izuku sent him a half-hearted glare. "Looks like someone's ready for bed."
"Aww~ Little Listener's all tuckered out."
"Shut up, Zashi..." Izuku mumbled as Shouta scooped him up, ignoring his tired protests.
"Shouu!! Zuku's being mean!"
"I didn't hear anything of the sort, Zashi." Shouta shot back with a smirk, making Izuku chuckle. "We'll be doing this once every week." Shouta explained to Izuku, who perked up in excitement.
"Thanks, guys. Tonight was... fantastic." He grinned.
Izuku was asleep before they reached his house.