Dread was a feeling he was all too familiar with.
In his line of work, it came with the job. This sense of wariness and anticipation that followed him every time he hit the streets. Underground hero work wasn't as clean nor as straight forward as general hero work. The underground industry dealt with the darker side of society. The villains that thrived in the darkness, making the city's streets their playground.
It meant that this sense of dread he was feeling while walking into the police station was something he was constantly living with. Yet, it was also something he was never going to get used to.
After all, he learned a long time ago how to use his instincts in his favor. Use that sense of anxious anticipation as a warning for whatever was about to come. Whatever was going to jump out of the darkness around him next. He learned to be ready for it. Welcome it with open arms and react accordingly. It was the logical thing to do, after all.
It didn't help his nerves though, as he stopped in front of the detective's office. Knocking on the door lightly.
A soft 'come in' could be heard from the other side.
Taking it as his cue to move, he stepped into the room.
He's been here many times before. Whether it was to discuss current cases or talk about action plans or simply debrief. He often found himself working with Tsukauchi. The man was good to work with. Honest, determined and ready for the job.
This also meant, that with time, he'd come to know the different looks Tsukauchi gave, depending on the information he had.
The look he was currently giving him, didn't promise anything good.
"Good morning Aizawa-san." The man greeted with a smile, although it looked a little forced. "I'm glad you got my message."
"Yeah, well, you didn't give me a lot to go on..." He mutters lowly, knowing the man knew him well enough to know he didn't like being kept in the dark.
"I apologize. I just thought it was better if we spoke about this face to face." The man replied without skipping a beat. His hand moving in a gesture for Aizawa to sit down. Himself taking a seat across from him.
"So, you found his file?" Aizawa asks when he feels that Tsukauchi wasn't going to speak up first.
"I did..." There's a serious look in Tsukauchi's eyes now, it makes Aizawa sit up straighter. If only a few more inches. "Do you recognize the name Izuku Midoriya."
The name Midoriya brings up strange feelings in him. He can't exactly identify them yet, but they're there and he doesn't remember why. It makes the dread that pools in his guts intensify.
"I don't...think so. Is that the kid's name?" He inquires slowly.
"Here, take this." The man hands him a sealed file. Taking it in his careful grasp, he opens it. Eyes scanning the content slowly. He doesn't get far before something catches his attention.
Name: Izuku Midoriya
Date of birth: July 15 2134
Father: Hisashi Midoriya (Whereabouts unknown)
Mother: Inko Midoriya (Deceased.)
The name strikes a chord within him. Suddenly, he's brought back four years in the past. Flashes of memories flicker in his mind as he wishes that he's wrong. That this isn't who he thinks it is.
Any hope he has that he's wrong is shattered as he goes through her death report. Words like Crash and Explosion spark in his thoughts. Memories he's been working so long to overcome. Memories he's apparently managed to suppress.
~~
Aizawa wasn't having the best night. Hizashi, had asked him to take over his shift tonight because something had come up.
Usually, he would refuse. However, his best friend somehow managed to annoy him to the point where he was forced to accept. If only to get the loud blonde off his back.
Everything was going smoothly at first. He stopped a small store robbery and the night was relatively quiet and peaceful.
Maybe he could even go home early today.
He cursed his wishful thinking, as his phone vibrated in his pocket.
A car crash had occurred just a couple of blocks away. A collision between a pick-up truck and a civilian's car. They needed anyone that was near to go and help out with the injured.
The nearest hospital was at least half an hour away and they couldn't wait for the medics to arrive. The casualties weren't determined yet.
Aizawa quickly made his way there. His feet pounding against the asphalt as he ran.
His quirk was useless in this situation, but he could at least put his field training to work.
He'd be damned if he didn't help in any way he could.
The scene he witnessed when he arrived was worse than he expected. The call he got mentioned the collision of a truck with another car. However, they failed to mention the chemicals being carried by said truck.
Multiple barrels of the liquid were scattered on the road. An omnipresent smell of fuel and chemicals plagued the area.
His panic only intensified as he saw the warning sign on one of the barrels.
The scene In front of him looked like it came straight out of those action movies Hizashi always made them watch together.
The truck was crushed at the front, no amount of work could fix it now.
Luckily, the driver didn't seem too banged up. He hurriedly checked him for any major injuries, but the man seemed relatively fine. Unconscious, but mostly unharmed. If not for a slight concussion.
The other vehicle, however, was another matter of its own. The car in question was turned on its side. Battered and crushed as if it had tumbled multiple times. One of the barrels had ended up spilled on the car, liquid seeping into it and onto the road.
His heart raced as he saw the small flicker of flame that flared from the car's engine. He hoped the chemicals weren't flammable.
Running towards it, he found himself for the first time, praying. Pleading with everything he had that the person inside was still alive. He climbed onto the side swiftly, hoping with all his might for them to be okay.
Looking at the driver's seat, he was met with wide green eyes. Staring back at him with a mix of both; relief and panic.
"It's okay ma'am, help is coming. You need to stay very still for me. Okay?" He spoke in a tone he hoped came out as reassuring and calm. The last thing he needed was to cause her more panic.
Promptly ignoring him, the woman struggled against her seat belt. Her movements were frantic and urgent. Fat tears rolled down her face, the mix of both blood and tears made her look miserable.
Blood oozed from a gash on her forehead.
Yet, she didn't seem to pay it, or the pain she was surely feeling, any mind.
She kept mumbling under her breath and straining against her seat to turn her head.
Following her gaze, Aizawa's heart nearly stopped.
There, in the back seat was a small boy. He seemed no older than ten.
He sat there, motionless, his head lolled to the side. Blood covered his stomach and forehead. His face drenched in some kind of liquid. His stomach churned as he realized the boy was drenched in the same chemicals that had spilled on the car on impact.
This was bad. This was really bad.
"Izuku! Baby? Are you okay? Izuku Answer me!" The woman's mumbles turned to pained whimpers as she called out for her son.
"Listen to me, ma'am, we need to get you both out. The car is in high risk of catching fire, we need to move you before this happens." He watched as her eyes widened and she struggled harder against her seat belt. "I'm going to get you out and then I'm going to help your son okay?"
"N- No, Izuku! You need to help him first. You need to make sure he's okay!" She pleaded, her tone desperate as she pleaded. "His life comes first! Please!" Aizawa looked around, the fire was spreading. They needed to act before it reached the spilled chemicals.
He needed to do something, and he needed to do it fast.
"Please..." She whispered finally. At that moment, he could see it in her eyes. The pure and unadulterated love she held for the boy. The pain and fear of losing him overwhelming her entire being. He could see all of it. Right there, in those green pained eyes.
Nodding his head resolutely. He tried to convey his understanding.
The kid clearly had the worst injuries. He needed to take care of him and get them both out before it was too late.
Without further hesitation, Aizawa got to work.
Tentatively, he moved towards the backseat's window. The glass was cracked, but he needed it to be out of the way in order to reach the boy.
Wrapping his arm in his capture weapon, he hit the window with all the strengths he could muster.
It took a couple of hits, but soon enough, he'd broken into it and cleared the frame from any remaining shards.
Leaning his upper body in, he reached for the kid's seat belt. Slowly, carefully, he unplugged it. His capture weapon instantly shooting to hold the kid in place. All the while, he made sure not to move him too much. The last thing he needed was to aggravate his wounds.
It took more time than he was comfortable with but once done, getting the boy out was relatively an easy feat.
Holding the boy in his arms, he quickly ran to a safe spot at the side of the road.
Tearing a piece of fabric from his clothes, he wrapped it around the boy's stomach. They needed to stop the bleeding as quickly as possible. Once the boy's main injuries were somewhat tended to, he dashed to get to the woman.
He wasn't going to get there in time though. He knew it. He could feel it.
He remembers the exact moment the fire spread to the fuel tanks. The exact second before it all went to hell.
The look in Inko Midoriya's eyes as she stared ahead. Eyes focused on her son. Out of the vehicle and safe.
The smile on her face as she accepted her fate.
As she accepted his failure.
He was going to be too late.
The car exploded just as he was about to reach for the window. The shockwave sent him skidding across the floor. Back scraping against the pavement as he tumbled backward.
He was too late.
Sirens could be heard coming from a distance, however, Aizawa paid them no mind. As if he was drowning underwater, the only thing his mind registered was the scorching red flames that danced in his line of vision.
The overwhelming feeling of utter uselessness gnawing at his mind. The guilt eating away at his insides as he gazed at the destruction.
A he gazed at his failure.
______________________________
"-Zawa! Aizawa!" Blinking rapidly, he found himself back in the detective's office. His eyes stinging with unshed tears as he looked on ahead. Staring into the worried eyes of the man in front of him. "Are you okay?" His throat felt like lead. Mouth opening and closing as if to form any kind of response but failing miserably.
"I-it's him. It's that boy... From all those years ago." He finally says. Feeling the familiar dread turning into something else. Something worse.
"I know... You were sited at the first responder." Tsukauchi speaks quietly, as if afraid that if he'll raise his voice. Aizawa will break.
"He's blind..." Is all he can bring himself to say. Multiple thoughts forming a whirlwind in his mind as he tried to settle his racing heart.
"It wasn't your fault." The seriousness is back now. Tsukauchi's eyes bore into his own. Trying to convey his sincerity. "You did the best you could."
"I know..." and he does. But still, he can't help but think that, if only he'd been stronger. Faster. A better hero.
After a moment, a thought occurs to Aizawa.
"Where did the kid end up?" He asks, afraid of the answer he'd get.
"He was registered at a local orphanage a few years ago. Social workers picked him up from the hospital in which he recovered directly."
"Was?" For the second time in his life, Aizawa prays. Wishes for a silver lining. Maybe the kid was adopted? Maybe he's happy now...
"He ran away about a year and a half ago." Its worst then he expected. The words hit him harder than he's ready for.
"Do we know why?" He barely succeeds in keeping his voice steady. He has a feeling that Tsukauchi sees right through him anyway.
"The reports from his stay there, suggest that he was being bullied, maybe abused. We can't know for sure, though..." The admission is quiet, the detective sounds defeated.
Aizawa feels the guilt increase tenfold. He should've checked on the kid himself. Should've at least dropped by. I made sure he was okay. Made sure he was being cared for.
"How does a blind kid survive on the streets on his own?" He asks slowly, despite the knowledge that the kid can probably take care of himself. From what he's seen today.
"I don't know. However, what we do know is that the missing person's report was completely overlooked. No one actually looked for the kid."
"We need to find him Tsukauchi." He hears the desperation in his own voice. He can't bring himself to care though. He'll find this kid. He'll make this right. At least, he'll try.
"We will."
______________________________________________
Shadow was currently perched on top of a pillar of an abandoned building near the city's docks. The silent air of the night made it easier for him to focus. It was a perfect place for him to listen in.
His ears picked up many different things. Mundane conversation between civilians, a dog barking, car engines rumbling on the roads.
He did his best to shut it all out. Willing his mind to focus on any weird noise. Cries for help of any kind.
At first, all he could hear was a couple shouting from what he assumes is their apartment building, his mind's eyes taking him further away into dark alleys and overlooked spots.
Nothing.
Nothing was good. Great even. It meant people were safe.
Still, Izuku couldn't help but feel a little discouraged.
He wanted something to get his mind off the growing feeling of hunger. The emptiness that's gnawing at the pit of his stomach. It has been a few days since he'd last eaten a full meal. His savings were almost nonexistent and he was trying to ration whatever he did have on medical kits.
He'd gotten so used to his old job that he didn't know how much longer he could survive without one.
He could go back to the orphanage... However, the mere thought made his stomach churn. He wouldn't subject himself to that kind of treatment ever again.
Therefore, he found himself avoiding his problems for the time being. Focusing on helping anyone who needed it.
Food, proved to be unavoidable though. So he did bring a couple of dollars with him. He'll drop by a grocery store on his way back. Get a few snacks.
He's about to drop down and start his patrol when he hears it.
Two, maybe three women, screaming for help.
Zoning in on their voices, he finds their exact location.
They're at the docks. Surrounded by a dozen containers.
Without further delay, he makes his way towards the scene.
_______________________________
The scene he's faced with makes him feel sick.
He picks up seven heartbeats.
Two men stand a couple of feet away in front of a container, whispering quietly to each other. While the third drags a girl into the metal box. There are three girls already tied up inside.
With quiet, cat-like movement, he climbs on top of the opposite containers. Hiding himself in the shadows. Surveying the scene.
"Let us go." The girl whimpers. "Please."
The man only seems to get angry at that. Pushing the girl harder into the container. A satisfied laugh erupting from his throat as she falls on her knees.
The anger Izuku feels intensifies. He won't let them get away with this.
"Shut up!" The villain shouts, making the four girls flinch at his words. "If you stay quiet, I'll give you some water for the trip." He offers as if it would make everything feel better. As if he was being a kind, generous person.
The girls only cower in response, one of them screams even louder.
It doesn't sit well with the kidnapper, for his next move is to raise his gun at the woman. "I gave a choice lady. This is on you..." He says while cocking it and aiming it straight at her head.
The woman lowers her head, pure terror evident in her posture. Her whole body trembles in fear and anticipation.
He doesn't get to shoot.
His gun getting knocked from his grip as the escrima rod hits his hand.
The man lets out a loud hiss as he spins towards the direction it came from.
Izuku can hear the girls screaming in the background.
Before the villain can react, Shadow is already on him. Jumping from his perch and landing straight on him. Kicking him into the ground with a resounding thud.
Footsteps echo behind him, and he barely manages to dodge the punch aimed at his face. Dropping low on the ground and swiping the offender's leg from under him.
It's a two on one fight and Izuku knows he can't afford to pull his punches.
These girl's lives rested on his ability to pull through.
Electricity crackles in the third villain's clenched fist as he runs at him. They trade blows, Izuku barely evading the electrical charges. Seeing an opening, he grips the man by the forearm and flips him over his shoulder.
The villain wheezes as the air gets knocked out of his lungs. He doesn't get to feel satisfied though. For, the second one is up once again. Leg coming up to kick him into the container behind him. The metal groans with the force. It feels like he's been hit by a car. Bile rising in his throat by the sheer force. A strength type quirk, probably.
Suppressing the pain, he catches the next kick that's aimed at his side. Pulling the man towards him and jabbing him right in the knee cap.
The sickening crunch that follows rings in his ears, but he ignores it. Sometimes playing dirty was the only way to survive.
The man drops to the ground with a howl of pain. Curses spewing from his clenched teeth.
Surveying the field, Izuku spots his escrima rod and picks it up. He's about to drop it back into his holster when he hears it.
The man with the electricity quirk was standing back up.
Sighing loudly, he throws the rod at the villain. Satisfied with the loud thud that follows. The man finally falling unconscious. Body slumping on the ground in a motionless heap.
Two unconscious. One incapacitated. He won.
Finally regaining some semblance of calm, he turns to face the girls. Tentatively making his way towards them. Hand raised in the universal sign for 'I mean no harm'
"It's over. You're safe." He call out, making sure to keep a safe distance away from them.
He's seen too many similar cases in the past two years. It never ceased to disturb him.
The girls seem to relax slightly at his words. All of them are still in shock though. Tears streaming down their faces as they try to regain their composure.
Only one of them speaks up.
Her voice, barely above a whisper. "You're Shadow." She says. The awe in her voice makes him feel strange.
He decides to ignore it. Opting to hand her his burner phone.
She seems to get the message. Her fingers immediately moving to make the call.
It's only when he hears the sirens that he leaves.
By then, all three men are tightly tied up. Placed in the same container they were going to use.
The world really was a dark place.
_________________________________
A bone-deep tiredness settles on him as he makes his way to the nearest convenience store.
He's back in his civilian clothes now. His costume, safely stored in his backpack.
It feels heavier than it is. The weight of the night's events only now crashing down on him.
The store is fairly empty when he walks in. The only occupants of the room are the clerk, standing behind the counter, and a boy scanning through one of the shelves on the third aisle.
The clerk sends him a glare as soon as he steps inside. Only slightly relaxing when he sees his walking stick. It's understandable, though, knowing that Izuku probably looks worse for wear.
His face hurts, the bruise was probably even darker now. Not to mention that he's currently limping. One arm gripping his injured stomach tightly. The pain flashing with every step he takes.
He needed to eat, though.
So, here he was. Ignoring the nasty look aimed his way, he picks up two sandwiches from a nearby fridge and drops them onto the counter.
After rummaging through his pants pockets, he finally gets a hold of the few dollars he had saved for this.
The bell of the storefront rings, but neither he nor the clerk, pay it any mind. The old man is too focused on Izuku to actually pay any other formidable customer extra attention.
He hears it before he knows what's happening. The click reaches his ears, just as he feels the pressure on his back.
His night just kept getting better, didn't it?
"Give me the money or the kid gets it." The robber growls at the frightened clerk. Gun pressing into Izuku's back harder.
In his defense, the clerk, despite the previous looks he was sending Izuku, immediately gets to work. Not even hesitating to collect the money.
Huffing slightly, Izuku turns slowly to face the robber.
"You really shouldn't have done that." He says, expression bored as he faces the gun that's now aimed at his head.
"HAH! You wanna die that bad boy!" The man shouts at him, gun straying with every wild gesture he makes.
Taking this as an opportunity. He strikes. His walking stick twirls in his hand and hits the man clean on the stomach, leg immediately coming up to hit him on the chin.
In a flash, the man is down. Gun falling from his grip.
Izuku immediately kicks it away from him.
God. He didn't have the energy for this.
The clerk seems to be frozen in place when he turns back to face him. Shocked and speechless.
It's only when Izuku drops the money on the counter for his sandwich and goes to walk away that he speaks up.
"Hey kid wait!" The man calls out hurriedly. Making Izuku pause in the doorway. "How can I repay you?"
He's about to wave him off when an idea hits him.
"You know... I could use a job."