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Chapter Text

|| March 28th ||

The silence stretched out over the room thick and suffocating as the occupants slept on, uneasy and exhausted. Toogata Mirio silently observed the kids of UA's Class 2-A as they surrounded their injured classmate and friend, unwilling to leave him to heal or sleep by himself.

Mirio's blue eyes rested on the young boy to whom this hospital room belonged and they softened with sorrow.

Midoriya Izuku, someone who had come to mean a great deal to him, and many others, looked entirely too small with so many bandages covering his body and hooked up to too many wires that were keeping him alive. Midoriya Izuku, his kouhai, his friend, had been put through absolute hell during the past two months. He had suffered way more than any kid his age should have ever had to. Well...

The new hero's gaze swept over the other second-years who surrounded their friend protectively. All of class 2-A had been through way more this entire year alone than any kid should have to go through. They had all survived way more than most pro-heroes did in an entire lifetime.

But this… Mirio's eyes found their way back to where the greenette lay, eyes lingering on the stump that used to be…

Mirio clenched his fists, trying to tamp down the protective anger that still threatened to boil over every time he saw the injuries that Izuku had sustained or thought about how he had gotten them. None of this should have ever been allowed to happen. But it had and, with each passing day, Mirio found it harder and harder to not throw out everything he had ever learned in his career as a hero student and seek revenge on Izuku’s behalf, morals be damned. He was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts when a cup of tea was held out in front of him.

"You should probably go home and get some rest, Mirio," a stern but soft voice spoke from beside him. Amajiki’s hand was attached to the cup of tea, the other teen moving to lean against the doorframe opposite his friend. "You've been here since he woke up yesterday morning. It's been well over eighteen hours. You need to sleep. You're no good to him or anyone else if you're exhausted."

The new hero shook his head. "Tama I-" The words caught in his throat, barely spilling out as the blonde struggled to continue. "I can’t leave him. Not now. Not after what they did.” That left a vile taste in his mouth, thoughts of what they had seen and learned clinging to his mind like velcro. Mirio stole another fleeting glance at the sleeping greenette before turning to look back at his friend.

Amajiki felt his heart constrict at the rawness of his friend’s voice. The dark-haired teen knew all too well what he was feeling. They all did. As heroes and hero students in training, they were trained to deal with any number of situations. "Midoriya is okay right now. He's safe, now."

“He should have been safe this entire time,” Mirio snapped. He moved away from the door and began pacing up and down the hallway. “I know he’s safe now. I don’t need you to tell me that. That doesn’t change the fact that he wasn’t for weeks; weeks, Tama.” The blonde slammed the palm of his hand against the wall, chest heaving as he tried to bring himself down from his rage-induced rant.

Mirio internally winced when he calmed down a few minutes later. “Tama, I… I’m sorry. I had no right to yell at you. I know you’re trying to help. I don’t know what… I’m just-”

Amajiki held up a hand to dismiss his friend’s ramblings. “Mirio, it’s okay.” He sighed when the other buried his face in his hands, shoulders just barely shaking every few seconds. “You’re also no good to him if you keep entertaining thoughts of vengeance. Think about how he would feel if you got in trouble for acting incredibly stupid and boneheaded.” Amajiki gestured to the room. "You know the rest of them won't let anything else happen to him. I won’t let anything happen to him. I've already had a chance to rest. I'll stay. You need to sleep, Mirio.”

Mirio wanted to refuse. He wanted to argue that he couldn’t leave Izuku right now because even though he knew that there were people who cared about Izuku and who would do whatever they could to protect him, he still couldn’t trust anyone to not hurt him. Not after those who were supposed to protect him had been the ones who had failed him so catastrophically. He knew that his childhood friend was unfortunately correct, however. Mirio had been standing guard at Izuku’s door for the past eighteen hours and he hadn’t been to sleep for at least another eight before that.

“Fat Gum and Eraserhead are around here as well, keeping watch. If anything happens, I’ll give you a call. I promise you though that no one will get anywhere near him. Just please take care of yourself.” Amajiki rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder, a comforting weight. “For Midoriya.”

Mirio, suddenly feeling drained, closed his eyes, running his hands through greasy, limp hair. “Okay. I’ll go home for a few hours.” The hero spared one last glance at the hospital room before walking away. 

As his friend left, Amajiki leaned back against the doorframe, eyes closed and taking in the silence of the hero ward before stealing his own glance of the green-haired kid who had been occupying all of their minds for the last month. This… this was a mess. And it was far from over. The new hero’s gaze swept over the entire room, taking in the huddled mess that was Class 2-A. He snorted at how the younger students had managed to push two more beds into the room so they would have more space to lay near their friend.

Midoriya was currently curled into Shinsou's side, head pillowed on the other student's shoulder while Shinsou's arm was wrapped around the smaller boy's waist. On Midoriya's other side lay Uraraka, who also had her arms wrapped around the boy. One of her hands was settled atop his, thumb subconsciously rubbing soothing circles from time to time. Asui lay on Uraraka's other side, arm slung over the other girl and hand resting on Midoriya's hip while Iida lay behind her and Todoroki lay on Shinsou's other side. Kirishima was leant against the railing at the foot of the bed while Kaminari and Mina lay sprawled out beside him. The rest of 2-A was sprawled throughout the room, asleep on the various chairs and couches as they kept vigil.

Amajiki looked back down at his own forgotten cup of coffee, watching the steam weaken until it died out leaving behind the ice-cold sludge that the hospital had to offer. Ditching the coffee cup in the closest trash can, he pulled one of the waiting room chairs over to the entrance of the hospital room. He settled down, pulling out some paperwork to go over while he kept an eye on the second years. A couple of hours passed before he heard someone calling out to him.

“Ama-senpai?”

Amajiki looked up to meet the bleary, red eyes of Kirishima. The red-haired teen was blinking sleepily at his upperclassmen as if trying to recall why they were there. After a beat of silence, Kirishima stiffened, seeming to have remembered what had happened. His eyes snapped over to where Midoriya still lay, bruised and bandaged but still safe. Still there. Having reassured himself that the image of his friend hooked up to wires and all bandaged up was in fact real, the second-year sank back against the bed railing once more, tension bleeding out of his shoulders.

“From what I can tell, he’s managed to sleep for four solid hours,” the indigo-haired teen offered.

“That’s more than he’s been able to get since he woke up from the coma.” Kirishima brought his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on top of them. He kept his eyes trained on Midoriya, not willing to look away anytime soon. “He’s having a hard time letting any of us out of his sight.”

Amajiki grimaced at that. He had heard that when Midoriya had first woken up, it had taken two doctors and a sedative to calm him down when he couldn’t find anyone he knew. He had fallen back asleep after the medicine took effect only to wake up in another panic until Aizawa-sensei and Yamada-sensei appeared by his bed to help calm him. Even then, it had taken them far too long to help him steady his breathing. Fat Gum had mentioned something about the kid all but begging them to confirm that they were who they said they were. It all made Amajiki sick to think about.

Both boys were torn out of their thoughts by a strangled whimper. Midoriya was beginning to spasm and tremble in his sleep, pressing himself back into the pillows as far as his aching body would allow.

Kirishima straightened up, hand reaching out and ready to comfort the greenette if needed when Shinsou’s eyes cracked open. The lilac-haired teen was quick to pull the smaller boy a fraction closer. He began tracing soothing patterns on Midoriya’s arms, voice gently coaxing his friend out of the impending panic attack.

“Hey, Izu… shhh. You’re with us now. You are safe with us.” Shinsou was careful to not put his hand anywhere near the other’s hair remembering how negatively the greenette had reacted a few days ago when Aizawa had tried running a hand through his hair.

It was a quarter of an hour later before the One For All user started to calm down. Midoriya cracked his eyes open, glazed green staring unfocused at the wall. “H-Hito? I… I w-was-”

“Hey, shhh. I know. It’s okay now. We're all here and we're all safe. You can sleep now, Izu.” Shinsou gently cut him off, continuing to rub the other boy’s arms comfortingly.

The three teens watched with bated breath as the injured teen fell back into an uneasy sleep. The silence stretched on, thick and somewhat overbearing as they waited to see if their friend would be assaulted by any more gruesome nightmares. 

“I just-” Kirishima started, voice barely above a whisper. “What did they do to him? I mean… we know what happened physically…” The redhead eyed the covers that rested over his friend, a hurricane of emotions flashing through his eyes. “But what else did they do?”

“I don’t know. He still hasn’t gone into too many details about what happened.” Amajiki leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest.

Shinsou frowned at that, running a hand through his unruly hair. “This shouldn’t have happened to him. It shouldn’t have happened to anyone but it especially should not have happened to Izuku.”

“Ama-senpai?” Kirishima asked quietly, drawing the older teen’s attention to him.

Amajiki winced as his eyes fell on his kouhai. Kirishima and his classmates were far from little kids but they were still in fact just kids. And right now, Kirishima looked even younger than his seventeen years would suggest.

“They… they aren’t gonna get away with this? Right?” Kirishima’s voice remained just above a whisper but Amajiki could hear every ounce of desperation and anxiety that bled through.

The new hero mulled over his words for a few moments before speaking. “I don’t know what will happen- no specifics that is. But I do know that Aizawa and Nedzu and the rest of the staff at UA as well every single person involved in Midoriya’s rescue will not rest until the League and everyone else involved with them are brought to justice.”

Kirishima nodded stiffly before turning back to look at his friend. Shinsou nudged the boy with his foot, offering up a lackluster yet comforting turn of his lips. “Aizawa won’t let them get away with this. He’d rather give up all the coffee for the rest of his life.”

Kirishima huffed at that, not quite a laugh but he seemed to lose any remaining tension. The red-haired boy leaned further against the railing of the bed, eyes slipping shut, willing the memories of the past two months to vacate his mind.

Chapter Text

|| Two Months Earlier; January 25th ||

“Alright, Hellspawn,” Aizawa drawled, lazily leaning against his podium. “We’re done for today. Remember that mid-terms are coming up so I expect all of you to keep up with studying.” One of the man’s signature cheshire grins spread across his face. “And you’ll be randomly paired together again to battle one of your teachers.”

A collective groan sounded throughout the room at that.

“Aw, come on, sensei.” Kaminari slumped down over his desk, looking up at their teacher with pleading eyes. “Is that really necessary?”

Ashido shuddered in agreement, recalling with terror when she and Kaminari had had to face off against their erratic, feral principal. “Seriously though! Haven’t we suffered enough?”

A chorus of other complaints began to ripple through the room as the students of 2-A began to voice their displeasure over the news. Izuku chuckled at his classmates, sharing an amused glance with Tsu. He laughed a little harder hearing Hitoshi poorly contain his snickers at the protests ringing throughout the room.

“Now, I’m sure Nedzu-san wasn’t that bad,” Izuku said with a laugh, sending a sympathetic glance toward Kaminari and Ashido.

“Pffft, of course you’d say that, Midori!” Mina sent the green-haired boy a bemused look. “You and Tsu are the only ones he seems to not terrorize.”

Aizawa, who had been watching for a few minutes, straightened up, eyes glowing red. “Hellions, that’s enough.” There was instant silence throughout the room. Aizawa huffed at his kids, waving a hand to dismiss them. “Alright, scram before I saddle you with so much homework, you won’t finish until the end of your school career.”

The room emptied within seconds. The homeroom teacher sighed in reluctant fondness, resting his head against the podium. Oh, the headaches those gremlins could cause. He distantly picked up on the conversation between the Problem Child and a couple of his friends.

“Hito, Shou, I just need to talk with Aizawa-sensei. I’ll catch up with you guys later tonight.”

Todoroki bid his goodbye and ambled out of the room after Tsu and Uraraka. The teacher heard his protégé speak up a few seconds after the dual-quirked user left.

“Do you think you’d be able to help me study some this afternoon for the math final that’s coming up? I don’t think I can take another group study session with our friends like last time.”

Aizawa rolled his eyes at the same time he heard Izuku snort at that comment, both recalling how the last study session that the group of friends had had ended in utter chaos and a destroyed common room. Kami, Aizawa did not want a repeat of that.

“Yeah we can do that,” Izuku replied. “We can meet up in an hour in your room if you’d like.”

Shinsou hummed an affirmative. “Okay, so, uh, I’ll see you in an hour then, Izu.” The lilac-haired teen bade his friend goodbye, making his way out of the room.

Aizawa only glanced up when he heard Izuku begin to walk closer to the front of the classroom. The teen snickered as he made his way over to the teacher.

“You know, Dad, you do realize that if you keep threatening them with extra homework they’ll eventually be desensitized to that? What will you use as leverage then?”

There was most certainly not a flurry of warmth that flooded Aizawa’s chest like it did every time Eri or Izuku called him ‘dad’; of course not. Aizawa instead leaned further onto the podium. “I’ll take my chances.”

Izuku snorted at that, bumping his shoulder against his teacher’s. “Sure, Jan.”

The underground hero reached out, tugging gently at one of his son’s curls in retaliation. “Such a brat. It was bad enough when it was just Zashi insulting me with memes, but now you and Eri have taken up the habit as well.”

Izuku’s only response was to flash his own signature cheshire grin. Little shit.

The underground hero tugged once more at one of the verdant curls, noting just how long the kid’s hair had gotten. Almost to the kid's shoulders now. “How long do you actually plan on letting it get?”

The greenette only shrugged, leaning a fraction further into the hand that was now carding through his hair. “I’m not sure yet, but I like it longer; just like yours and pops’!”

“It looks good, kid.” Aizawa retracted his hand, sluggishly straightening himself out. He didn’t even bat an eye when his back popped repeatedly.

Izuku smiled up at the man falling into step beside him as they walked out of the room and to the teacher’s lounge, falling into easy conversation with each other. Over the past year, since taking Izuku in, the kid had managed to come out of his shell the more time he spent around Shouta and Hizashi. The greenette could still be a little timid around other adults if he didn’t know them too well but he had also started opening up around more of the U.A. staff with the help of his parents.

As they walked along, Izuku thought back over the last year and how so much had changed.

|| One Year Earlier ||

Izuku sat in the corner, sobbing as he held his phone shakily up to his ear. The lack of answer kept mocking him with each passing ring.

“ Hello? ”

Izuku felt a simultaneous sense of relief and panic upon hearing his teacher’s voice, but… it was the wrong teacher… He had meant to call Yagi-sensei. Izuku glanced down at his phone screen. He had hit the wrong contact label. Oh.

“ Hello? ”

“M-Mic-sensei...?”

There was a beat of silence. “ Midoriya? ” Another beat of silence as something rustled on the other end of the line. “ What’s going on, lil’ listener? Are you alright? ”

“I- I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to call and bother you! I-I-I-”

“ Midoriya. ” The voice on the other end of the line was stern but kind. “ I need you to breathe for me, lil’ listener. Please. Just one deep breath at a time. ”

“I need help… they… I… I d-d-don’t know what t-to do…”

“ Okay, kiddo, ” The teacher spoke, voice low and placating. “ Talk me through it. What’s going on? ”

“M-my mom.” The words burned in Izuku’s throat. “She d-d-di-… she died. They want to send me away. Th-they th-think I’m still Q-Q-Qui-Quirkless.”

“ Okay, kiddo. ” More movement on the other end followed by a new voice. “ Where are you now? ”

“I-I um… M-Mus-Musutafu General.”

Present Mic’s voice remained soft but there was an edge to it that began to filter in. “ Okay, lil’ listener. Aizawa and I are on our way. Just stay right where you are, kid. We’re coming. ”

A stab of panic plunged through Izuku’s heart. “P-p-please don’t h-hang up, Sensei. I-” Every word that Izuku managed to speak was a shaky mess.

“ I won’t, Izuku. I promise. ” The hero’s voice reverted back to its initial softness. “ Just keep breathing for me. ”

After that night, Izuku had gone home with Aizawa-sensei and Mic-sensei. Things had been awkward for a while, to say the least. Izuku, who was reeling from the loss of his mother, was also recovering from the injuries that he had sustained during the Sports Festival. And to also go from student and teachers to ward and temporary guardians so suddenly had been a lot to process.

Izuku had been one of the students that the entire Heroics staff had been keeping an extra eye on since the beginning of the school year out of concern. The way the kid constantly tried to make himself small or how he seemed to flinch whenever someone shouted even if it wasn’t at him or even how he constantly put himself in danger to protect anyone without a second thought or care for his well-being was all more than concerning. The more that they watched him, the more that concern grew, rapidly like a wildfire.

During the week that the school had off after the Sports Festival, the two heroes had managed to talk Izuku down from several panic attacks while also trying to coax him into opening up to them, specifically about why the social worker at the hospital had been determined to send him to a ‘ home ’ for Quirkless people. They both had a fairly good idea of what the reason may be but there were still details that didn’t make sense. Rather than confront the kid about everything point blank though, they had agreed to wait until he felt comfortable enough to tell them willingly. That proved to be easier said than done however as the days passed.

Izuku had been reluctant to share anything that had to do with his former Quirk status with the two men. After one particularly awful evening laced with nightmares and the worst panic attack yet, it all came tumbling out.

Terror seized Izuku’s lungs as his eyes wrenched open. An invisible and suffocating weight pinned him down, rendering him immobile. His throat began to burn, imaginary hands squeezing tighter and tighter with each passing moment. As a dusting of black dots began to dance across his vision, he heard a distant whisper. He couldn’t make out what was being whispered but he latched onto it like a lifeline. It was concerned; gruff-soft; safe.

“-ku? -iddo? Izu-”

Someone was calling his name- but who? Moments continued to pass, the stinging suffocation beginning to abate.

“Problem Child? Can you hear me, kiddo?”

Aizawa-sensei?

“Hey, lil’ listener, we need you to breathe for us. Nice and slow, love.”

And that was Mic-sensei.

Slowly, the dots clouding his vision were dissipating. Izuku could suddenly breathe. A scarred hand clutched the blanket he currently had tangled around his legs. Precious air began to flood his lungs as that same familiar voice called out to him again.

“Izuku?” Aizawa was sat a foot away from the bed that the greenette currently occupied, not wanting to get too close just in case the kid felt crowded.

Mic-sensei stood a few feet further from his husband, concern radiating off his entire form.

A beat of silence, then: “S-S-Sensei?”

Making sure to keep his movements telegraphed, the underground hero placed a hand on the teen’s bed, palm facing up. “Yeah. It’s me, kid.”

Izuku eyed the proffered hand, a sluggish feeling washing over him. His limbs suddenly felt stiff, spasming every few moments. Guilt began to bubble up in his stomach when he finally took note of how dark it still was. It was the middle of the night. He had dragged his teachers from sleep- sleep that they probably never got much of in the first place. What was wrong with him?

His breathing began to speed up once more, a desperate need to let them know that he didn’t mean it taking over. “I… I’m sorry. I- I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for, lil’ listener. Nothing at all.” Mic-sensei knelt down next to his husband.

They all sat there, the silence spreading over the room and settling uncomfortably around them.

“I do.”

It was whispered so softly that Aizawa wasn’t even sure that the kid had said anything. By the sheen that appeared in his green eyes, that was not the case.

Aizawa shifted closer. “What do you mean, kid?”

“I do have something to be sorry for.” Izuku’s voice fractured with each syllable, hand beginning to clutch at his blanket once more.

“Oh, love you d-” Mic-sensei started only to be abruptly cut off.

Izuku roughly shook his head, curls wildly thrashing about. “I l-lied.”

The growing concern that the two teachers had felt previously roared into a raging inferno at those words. They both shared a brief glance with each other before turning back to face their charge.

“What do you mean, lil’ listener?” Mic-sensei asked softly, shifting closer so his arms could rest on the edge of Izuku’s bed.

“My Quirk…”

The suspicions that both men had had a few days earlier began to creep through their veins.

“I… I’m not supposed to talk about it… I was warned not to.”

And didn’t that raise every kind of red flag?

“Problem Child… Izuku, I can’t even begin to imagine what that means, but I swear to you that you can tell us anything. You can trust us to help you if that’s what you wish. You won’t be in trouble. We’ll listen.”

And, oh. No adult had ever wanted to willingly listen to him before. They’d always told him to shut up- the Quirkless were to be seen and not heard. And, no matter what had happened in the past few months, no matter what his file read now, he was still the same stupid, useless, Quirkless Deku that he’d always been. He’d already injured himself several times because he couldn’t manage to control his Quirk. A Quirk that wasn’t even his. Because it was All Might’s. He only had it because All Might took a chance on him. He took a chance on a Quirkless Deku and Izuku was constantly failing him. And Izuku was drowning.

But… Could he tell them? Should he tell them? All Might had stressed to him no less than a couple dozen times why telling anyone would be disastrous. Could he really bring himself to break All Might’s trust like that?

The greenette dug his teeth into his bottom lip, the sting from it helping to ground him, before returning his attention back to the two heroes again. He studied their faces, searching for any sign of malice. His breathing came to a stuttering halt when he saw two separate pairs of eyes staring back at him with nothing but support.

Izuku dragged another breath, feeling it scrape down his aching throat and into his lungs. He reached his hand out, fingertips brushing lightly against his teacher’s, drawing strength from his presence as well as Present Mic’s. “O-okay. I’ll tell you.”

There were so many things revealed that night that the two Pro Heroes had not been expecting. Two things that stood out the most was the fact that Izuku had been Quirkless at one point- Quirkless and terrorized for it. The other was the fact that All Might had offered him a Quirk- a self-destructive Quirk at that, without any kind of formal training.

The rest of the weekend had been spent reassuring the kid that no, they weren’t going to expel him or kick him out for being a ‘Quirkless Deku’- and oh didn’t that just cause their hearts to fracture. They were quick to express to him that he would not be kicked out or sent away for any reason, especially something that had been out of his control. They did inform him that they would all need to talk with All Might more about the Quirk that had been passed down to him.

It had taken some time with nights spent sleeping on the kid's floor so they could be close in case the nightmares assaulted him or gently coaxing him into taking better care of himself or even trying to convince him that they were so eternally grateful and relieved that he had pushed through every hardship and childhood trauma in order to make it to UA, trying to get to know each other outside of the walls of the school. Eventually, however, the three of them had settled into a routine. Izuku became used to having adults- teachers no less- other than his mom, actually care about his well-being. It still seemed surreal most days, but Aizawa and Mic-sensei had slowly become the two people that Izuku trusted the most- his parents.

When Izuku and Aizawa entered the teacher’s lounge, Izuku was immediately swept up into a hug by his other dad.

“Hey, Bug! How was school today?” Hizashi set him down, taking his own turn to run a hand through the dark green curls.

Izuku leaned fully into the hand, reveling in the sweet nickname that had been bestowed upon him by the blond man. “It was good, Pa. Dad tried to threaten the class with more homework again.”

“Oh, Shou.” Hizashi let out a long-suffering sigh. “Again? You do realize that you use that threat a lot? They’re going to start catching on sooner or later.”

Aizawa would deny until his dying day the fact that he pouted at that. Honestly, what had the world come to when both his husband and son would betray him like this? And no, the pout did not deepen when Izuku burst into laughter at that.

“Traitors.”

He turned to scowl at Nemuri on the other side of the room, who had been cackling throughout the entire exchange, eyes glowing in warning.

“Izuku, love,” Hizashi asked, drawing his kid’s attention back to him. “Something came up down at the station that I need to check on before our faculty meeting and Shouta has a meeting with Nedzu. Do you think you could also pick up Eri from her lessons and make dinner for her?” Hizashi asked.

Izuku hummed in agreement, leaning further into the hero’s side. “Of course! Oh, can Hito come over to study then for our math final?”

“Of course, lil’ listener!” Hizashi leaned down to place a gentle kiss on his kid’s forehead. “And thank you for doing this for me, Bug.” Izuku ‘hmmed’ in response, resting his forehead against his pops’ shoulder for a moment.

“Our meeting shouldn’t run too long and we’ll be home before I head out for patrol tonight,” Aizawa added, settling down on the couch with a weary sigh.

Izuku’s eyes narrowed in concern at that. “Is everything okay?” Ever since their first year at UA and the war, all of the kids in 2-A had been more apt to notice things that others wouldn't and this included when their teacher had unplanned meetings with the cryptid.

The underground hero opened his eyes a fraction before patting the spot on the couch next to him. Izuku happily complied, leaning in as his dad wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“Nothing that you and your friends should be worried about, Green Bean.” The dark-haired man moved his hand to brush it reassuringly through the kid’s hair.

Izuku studied both his parents suspiciously for a moment before nodding. “okay.”

“Alright, Cariño.” The man retracted his hand. “Run along before I really do give you extra homework.”

The greenette blushed at the nickname that his dad had given him, scoffing to cover it up. “Now, how come I don’t believe you?”

“Such a Problem Child.” Aizawa reached over to gently tug at one of his son’s curls.

Izuku ducked away from his dad’s half-hearted attempts, a laugh beginning to bubble up. He raced out of the room before his dad could do anything else.

A series of snickers erupted once more from the opposite side of the room. “More and more like you two every day.” Nemuri only laughed harder at the glare being directed her way. She only laughed harder when her friend directed another withering stare her way. “Hey, Toyosaki over there is laughing just as much as I am. He’s just quieter about it!”

Ectoplasm glanced up from where he had been grading papers a few feet away. “Please don’t drag me into this.” He turned back to his grading before adding, “But she is indeed correct.”

“Thanks for the support, Toyosaki. I’ll remember that next time you have a craving for that special coffee blend that you’ve grown so fond of,” Aizawa spoke in a tired drawl.

 “Now, Shou, no need to be so mean,” Hizashi teased as he got ready to leave. “If I go now can I trust you to play nice?”

“I make no promises.” Aizawa was now laying down fully on the couch, eyes closed as he contemplated if he could just fall asleep and conveniently forget about his meeting with Nedzu.

Hizashi only rolled his eyes in fondness at the response.

“So Yamada, when will the adoption be official?” Ectoplasm asked as he leaned back in his chair.

Hizashi beamed at that, heart becoming warm at the fact that Izuku would officially be their son in every sense. “For Izuku, it should be any day now, hopefully. We still have a little longer to wait for Eri’s adoption but our caseworker was able to expedite everything a little more.”

“That’ll be nice,” Nemuri responded, a soft smile settling on her face. “It’ll be welcomed news after everything that’s happened in the last year and a half.”

Hizashi nodded in agreement to that, a sense of protectiveness bubbling up inside him as he thought of everything both of his kids had been through in the last not even two years. The blond glanced down at his watch, realizing what time it was. “I need to get going. And Shou, don’t you dare fall asleep just to conveniently get out of your meeting with Nedzu. “You should get going now as well.”

Aizawa only grumbled at that, waving half-heartedly as he continued to lay on the couch. “I’ll take my chances.

As Izuku left the teacher’s lounge, he took out his phone to text Hitoshi letting him know the change in plans and that he could come over to the teachers’ dorms if he wanted to and study there. He glanced up from his phone just in time to run into something- or rather, someone.

Izuku grunted, stumbling back a fraction before catching himself. The greenette took a moment to gather his bearings before he had a chance to process just who he had run into. Before him, stood his recently detached mentor, gaunt and sickly form towering over the teen.

“Ah, Yagi-sensei!” Izuku straightened himself up, bowing his head in apology. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

He repressed the urge to flinch at the impassive stare that the Pro Hero directed his way. All Might seemed to be… on edge about something- had been for a while now. He was on constant alert when it came to everything his student did, eyes void of anything yet scrutinizing all the same, almost as if he was waiting for something to happen.

Izuku had been concerned for his mentor, thinking that this had to do with the remaining members of the League of Villains that were still out there. Lately, however, Izuku felt like he was under a microscope. Had he done something wrong? Was there a threat against him because of his ties to All Might? Izuku had no way of knowing and neither did either of his parents who had picked up on the other man’s strange behavior. All Might had managed to evade them at every turn when they tried to question him. Izuku had eventually pushed it to the back of his mind figuring that his mentor would tell him if something was truly wrong but he knew his dads were still keeping a cautious eye out, protective as ever.

The former number one hero offered a curt nod, blood staining the corner of his mouth. “Midoriya.”

The current One For All user narrowed his eyes in concern at that. Yagi-sensei had always referred to him as ‘Young Midoriya’ or ‘my boy’. To hear him sound so formal, a hint of hostility lacing his tone was jarring.

“I-um, Yagi-sensei? Is everything al-” Izuku was abruptly cut off by his mentor stepping around him and beginning to walk away.

“I must be going.” The blond man was around the corner before the teen could even respond. 

The greenette could only stare at the corner where his mentor had disappeared only seconds before dumbfounded and wondering what had happened to cause the man to act like this. He had wondered, more often than not over the past couple of weeks if this went back to the issue of him revealing the secret of One For All to his parents. Things with All Might had been… tense since that meeting. He hadn’t been thrilled to learn that his protégé had told the other two teachers about the Quirk’s history and how he had obtained it.

“Um, Y-Yagi-sensei… can we talk please?”

All Might looked up at hearing his young student only to pause. Young Midoriya was fidgeting with his fingers in an agitated manner, staring at anywhere but him. The thing that really caught the number one hero’s eye though was the fact that he was flanked by Aizawa-kun and Yamada-kun. Their faces were indecipherable and judging by the seemingly subtle but sinister aura that radiated from them, he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

“Of course, Young Midoriya!” The skeletal man grinned widely at his protégé, gesturing to the exit of the teacher’s lounge. “Let’s go somewhere a little more private.”

Aizawa nodded at that, gently guiding Midoriya to walk with him. “We can take this to my private office.

Yagi frowned at that. “Aizawa-kun, is that really necessary?” He wheezed out. “Perhaps Young Midoriya and I should talk alone?”

Yamada was the one who answered. “This is actually a conversation that we all need to have together.” He turned to follow the other two, leaving the other blond no room to argue.

Yagi stared after the group in confusion, unease beginning to creep its way in. After a moment of contemplating, he followed after them. After a few minutes, they were all settled in Aizawa’s private office, Young Midoriya already sitting in between Aizawa and Yamada.

“What is this all about?” the skeletal man asked as he tried to get comfortable in one of the chairs, his lanky form making it awkward to adjust.

“Umm… well I… y-you see, I um…” Midoriya looked to Yamada and Aizawa for support.

Yamada settled a grounding hand on the teen’s shoulder, nodding to him. He held the hero's gaze for a moment before nodding. He took a steadying breath before turning back to his mentor.

“Over the break, I t-told Aizawa and Mic-sensei the truth- about One For All. I… told them everything.”

Yagi sat in stunned silence, trying to relentlessly process the information that he had just been given. “You told them? Young Midoriya, I specifically asked you not to do that.” The number one hero seemed agitated by this news.

His protégé began pulling at his fingers again, a response stumbling out. “I-I know, Y-Yagi-sensei, but I-”

“Do you understand what this could mean?” Yagi plowed over what the teen had been trying to say. “This was to be kept secret for a reason.”

The greenette wilted at the berating that he was receiving from his mentor, an action that went unnoticed by him but was absolutely picked up on immediately by the other two teachers.

“Young Midoriya, what could you possibly have been think-”

“I’d choose your words very carefully, All Might because none of this is on him.” Aizawa’s eyes were tinged with red- a warning to the number one hero. “While I understand that it is occasionally wise to keep certain aspects of a Quirk secret, in this case, Izuku was right in telling us. Of all people that needed to know, as his homeroom teacher, I should have been on that list.”

Yagi frowned at that, opening his mouth to argue only to be cut off by Yamada.

“This wasn’t a decision that Izuku made lightly. He took his time thinking about each specific pro and con there would be in confiding in us. In the end, he decided that it would be worth letting us in and I support that decision 100%.” He shifted the slightest bit, ready to shield his student if need be. “The bottom line: we know now. And because of that, we want to be able to help Izuku with his Quirk in any way we can.”

Yagi looked as if he wanted to argue further, but one look at how his student seemed to be curling in on himself had him snapping his mouth shut. A sliver of guilt began to weave its way through his stomach. He couldn’t in good conscience begrudge that to the boy. Yagi himself had people who were aware of his secret and that had always been monumental in his success. Perhaps this is what Young Midoriya needed to be successful as well. He deflated, running a hand tiredly over his face.

“Very well. Now you know.”

All Might had come to eventually accept that they now knew after seeing how beneficial it was for the teen to have more people in his corner who could help. Things were still tense from time to time, especially considering that Aizawa insisted on attending his training sessions as much as possible but they had seemed to settle into a routine that worked for everyone. Or so Izuku thought.

The greenette sighed, pushing those thoughts to the back of his head as he came upon the wing of the school that housed his sister’s classroom. He would probably bring it up to his parents later tonight. See if maybe they had any advice on what he should do.

Izuku reached the door of Eri’s classroom and slid it open, stepping inside. He smiled at the sight that greeted him instantly. His little sister was currently working on a drawing, tongue sticking out to the side in concentration. Eri’s teacher, Egawa-san, gave a friendly wave to the teen. “Eri-chan, I think there’s someone here to see you,” he stated as he corralled his own two children to the cubbies to gather their things.

The little girl glanced up, eyes lighting up at the sight of her brother. “Izu-nii!”

Izuku barely had time to brace himself before the white and red blur that was his sister suddenly barreled into his legs, the little girl latching on like a koala. The boy laughed at the girl’s antics, bending down and wrapping her into a hug. “Hey, Ladybug. How was school?”

“Yoshika-chan and Yoshima-chan brought their costume trunk from home and we played princesses and dragons!”

“That sounds so cool!” Izuku replied in amazement as he waved to the twins. The other two kids quickly ran up to them, bouncing up and down excitedly.

“Izu-chan! Do you want to play dress-up with us?” Yoshika asked, her bright auburn ponytail flailing about with every movement.

“Yeah we have a ton of costumes,” Yoshimi added, his own dark auburn hair bouncing in place.

“Ooo can we, Izu?” Eri asked, turning wide eyes to the greenette. “Please?”

The pleading in the little girl’s eyes tugged at Izuku’s heartstrings. While Eri had become more comfortable asking for things, it was still a rare occurrence and he hated to disappoint her. “I’m sorry, Ladybug but we can’t today.” His heart clenched at the disappointment that started to creep into her ruby-red eyes. “I’m sure if we ask though, pops wouldn’t mind calling Egawa-san to set up a playdate,” he soothed as he ran a gentle hand through the girl’s snowy white locks.

Eri perked up again at the mention of a future playdate, nodding her approval eagerly. “Yay! Thank you, Izu-nii!”

Egawa-san walked over to the little group, a friendly smile on his face. “I think we can definitely make something work in the next week or so. I’ll give your parents a call.” He smiled at his children before turning back to Izuku. “How have you been, Midoriya-kun?”

Izuku returned the older man’s smile, forever grateful to him and his family for how much they had helped Eri come out of her shell more and more over the last year. “Things have been really great Egawa-san! How’s Andino-san been?”

They made conversation for a few more minutes before the older man was gesturing to his kids. “Alright, rugrats, we need to let these two go and it’s also time for us to be heading home.”

As Izuku and Eri made their way to the exit, listening to the girl’s happy albeit shy chatter, his mind wandered to how far the little girl had come since she had been taken in by their small family. She was still shy and hesitant in most environments but she had become more open around them as well as Egawa-san’s family. She laughed more and she didn’t hide what she was feeling as often as she did when they first rescued her. It had been a long road, and there was an even longer one still up ahead, but it had been more than worth it to just see the young girl smile.

As they walked down the path towards the teacher’s dorms, Izuku noticed someone else walking back towards the student dorms. He tensed the slightest bit when he realized who it was. He hadn’t seen Bakugou much since the explosive blond had been transferred into the general studies course right after the Sports Festival.

Izuku stopped in his tracks when he made eye contact with the other teen who also seemed to be frozen in place. When Izuku had started to reveal his past to his parents, it had been increasingly difficult to hide certain details and they eventually came to learn of the abuse and discrimination he suffered from Alder Middle School- and of Bakugou’s involvement.

“Problem Child,” Aizawa sat down next to the teen, drawing the greenette’s attention away from his notes. “I just wanted to let you know that Hizashi and I spoke with Nedzu and the Bakugou’s today.”

A claw of anxiety began to burn its way through Izuku’s stomach, not for the first- or last- time that week, breath erratic and stuttering and fighting to be released from his lungs.

“Kid.” Aizawa had slid closer to the teen, placing both of his hands out, palms up for Izuku to take a hold of any time he wanted. “Hey, kiddo, please listen to me. You need to breathe. I need you to breathe. Everything’s Okay. You’re safe here.”

Izuku’s own hand shakily grabbed a hold of the ones being offered to him as he worked to calm himself down.

“Bakugou will not be expelled. I agreed with you when you said that that wouldn’t benefit him and it would do more harm than good.”

Izuku blinked at the older man in surprise. Someone had actually agreed with him? An adult had listened to him?

As if he had read his mind, the teacher continued as he began to smooth a hand through green curls. “Of course we listened to you, kid. Your opinion matters and it was integral to our final decision.”

A weight that Izuku had not even been entirely aware of, began to dissipate from his shoulders. After a moment, he squeezed Aizawa’s hand as a signal to continue.

“However, he still needs to be held accountable for his actions. As of today, he will be transferred to the General Studies course and he’s on probation. He will have a chance to try entering the Hero Course once more if he can prove to everyone on the staff that he understands what it truly takes to be a hero. And everyone in the Heroics Department has to unanimously agree that he can return. He needs to understand that he can’t always rely on his Quirk especially every time he becomes angry, so he will be on Quirk probation as well- we won’t restrict the use of his Quirk entirely but there either needs to be a staff member or one of his parents present in or out of school.”

Green eyes began to glisten with the beginning of tears, nose burning as Izuku fought them back.

“None of that,” the underground hero whispered softly as he reached for a tissue to hand to his charge. “I want you to understand that under no circumstances was any of this your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong, Izuku. This is just something that needs to happen so you both can get the help that you deserved all along. I promised you that I would help you both in any way I could- this is what needs to happen for Bakugou so he can hopefully begin to heal as well. Can you believe me on that?”

Izuku regarded the man in front of him for a few moments. Aizawa-sensei had never given him a reason to not trust him. For as grumpy and strict as he was, the man was also fiercely protective and adamantly determined to prepare his students in any way possible so they could have as safe and successful a career as possible. He was a good man- one that had proven his trustworthiness time and again.

“Okay,” the greenette whispered, head pushing further into the hand still combing through his curls. “I trust you.”

After Bakugou had officially been placed in General Education, for months whenever the two would happen to pass each other in the hall there was always an air of tension. The blond always looked to be seconds away from lashing out but would seem to remember at the last minute that he was being watched and he would be punished if he attacked a fellow student. Izuku had still jumped with every explosion that occurred in heroics training, flinched with every raised voice even if it wasn’t directed at him for weeks, still not quite able to grasp that Kacc- Bakugou would no longer be able to hurt him again.

Over time, Izuku became more settled even when Bakugou's probation was lifted and he was placed in 1-B. He would still search every room he entered for any possible threat or escape route- that was a habit that had long since been ingrained into not just his mind but his bruised and battered heart- but he had also slowly come to trust the adults in his life more and more. As each day passed, he learned again and again just how much he could trust them. They weren’t going to destroy his grades because he had happened to get the highest scores. They weren’t going to mock him for raising his hand to answer a question or call him useless when he chose to stay quiet. They weren’t going to hurt him or stand by and watch him be hurt. For the first time in years, Izuku could trust the adults in his life- his teachers- and it felt so relieving. It wasn’t him versus the world anymore.

The more that Izuku came to trust the staff of U.A. to not let Bakugou, or any student really, to not get away with attacking another student, the easier it became to see Bakugou around the halls of the high school. And Bakugou, from what the One For All user occasionally saw of him, seemed different nowadays- calmer, less prone to erupting. He appeared to actually be trying to make a change. The greenette doubted that they would ever be friends again but it was nice to… exist in the same space without having to look over his shoulder at every footfall.

Izuku was brought out of his thoughts by the blond teen speaking. “Hn, nerd,” he said quietly- as quietly as he could manage at least- while nodding in acknowledgment towards the other teen. “Little Nerd.” He gave a slight wave towards Eri who was hidden behind her brother’s legs, watching the blond teen with wide eyes. Bakugou didn’t wait for any response before stuffing his hands in his pockets and continuing on his way back to the dorms.

Izuku stared after him for a few moments before shaking his head of any thoughts concerning the blond. “C’mon, nugget.” Izuku knelt down in front of his sister. “Want a piggyback ride?”

The girl nodded shyly, climbing on. With Eri on his back, the greenette took off down the path once more. “Let’s get you home so we can grab a snack. Hey, guess what?”

“Ooo, what?” The girl asked, little hands clutching onto her brother’s blazer.

“Hito is coming to visit tonight!”

Eri’s ruby eyes lit up at that. “ToTo-chan is coming?”

“That’s right, Ladybug.” Izuku chuckled as his little sister cheered. “Let’s get home so we can get ready for him to visit.”

“Why are we here exactly?” Nemuri asked as the staff settled in the meeting room hoping to finish this meeting as soon as possible. The dark-haired woman warily eyed the man who stood at the head of the table next to Principal Nedzu.

Tsukauchi scrubbed a hand over his face, holding it there for a moment before turning to address the room. “The Hero Commission has started to take a more profound interest in the U.A. traitor investigation. They have apparently decided to take the reins on this one.”

Aizawa frowned at that, coils of unease beginning to wind and weave through his veins. “Why are they suddenly so interested in this case now? It's been a year.”

“From what I have been told, they have their own suspects which they have chosen to not disclose to me at this time.” Tsukauchi sat down, shoulders slumping forward.

From the corner of his eye, Hizashi noticed how All Might appeared to tense for the briefest of seconds, hands furling and unfurling at the mention of the Commission having a list of suspects. The Voice Hero’s eyes narrowed at that, concern beginning to encroach. What did he know?

The blond averted his gaze to the side, catching his husband’s eye. It seemed that Shouta had also noticed All Might’s odd mannerisms. Before either man could dwell further on what was happening with the other man, Snipe was speaking up.

“So if they’re not telling you anything, why are we here? Do they plan to interview us all again? The students?”

The detective shook his head, annoyance clearly showing on his face. “They said informing you was just a courtesy. They won’t disclose anything to me or anyone involved in the previous investigation. Best I can tell is that they plan to conduct random interviews over the next few days.”

Unease descended upon the room at those words. Nedzu took that moment to pick up where the detective had left off.

“Rest assured, I plan to find out just what they are up to. I don’t trust the bureaucratic hacks for a second. They’re up to something and whatever that may be, I will fully expose once my informants get back to me. For now, there is not much we can do except for continuing to ensure the safety and well being of our students. That being said, this meeting is adjourned for today.

Everyone was slow to respond to the dismissal, still trying to process this newest development in their heads. Everyone that is, except for All Might. The former hero was quick to exit the room, surprisingly quick for a man who had entirely too many physical ailments.

This only added to the growing suspicion that now plagued Hizashi and Aizawa’s minds.

“Do you think he knows anything about what the commission has planned?” Hizashi asked as they continued to sit at the conference room, everyone else now gone.

Aizawa’s eyes were narrowed in thought, contemplating what the cause for the older man’s behavior could be. “I don’t know, but I plan on finding out.”

They sat around for a few moments more when a feral glint flickered across Hizashi’s eyes. “All Might’s behavior towards Izuku lately… you don’t think that he believes…” The voice hero trailed off leaving the sudden and disturbing thought hanging in the air between him and his husband.

A red haze began to overtake Aizawa’s eyes, worry for his son and the beginning pinpricks of protective anger battling for dominance. “For his sake, that better not be the case.”

Both men looked back to where the former hero had been standing moments prior. Far too many questions raced through their minds, each one doing nothing to alleviate any of their concerns. Did All Might believe Izuku was the traitor? And if he did, had he brought his concerns to Nedzu? If that was the case, why hadn’t anyone else been informed of this? Both men knew logically that they might not have been told because of their relationship with Izuku- they were the kid’s parents and they may have been perceived as too close to the case. But even Tsukauchi appeared to have no idea what was going on.

“I think we need to speak with Nedzu.”

“Alright, Ladybug, it’s time for you to start getting ready for bed.” Izuku set the leftovers from dinner in the fridge before turning to face his sister who sat at the table. “By the time that you’re done, dad and pops should be home to say goodnight.”

“Okay, Izu-nii.” The little girl stood up from where she had been coloring at the table, holding her arms open for a hug which Izuku was happy to oblige. The little girl placed a kiss on the freckled boy’s cheek before walking over to Hitoshi once her brother set her down. “Goodnight, ToTo-chan,” she said as she hugged him.”

Hitoshi gave a soft, barely-there smile, returning the hug. “Night, Eri.”

The girl scampered off down the hallway, sounds of the bathroom door shutting heard a minute later. Hitoshi began to gather his books thanking his friend for his help in studying.

“Did you want to walk back to the dorms together, Izu?” Hitoshi paused at the front door, awaiting an answer.

Izuku shook his head at that. “I think I’m going to sleep here tonight. I wanted to talk to my dads about something anyway.”

Hitoshi regarded his friend for a minute, eyes showing the faintest hint of concern. “Is this about All Might being a dick to you?”

“Hito!” Izuku looked at his friend in exasperation.

“Am I wrong though?” Hitoshi asked, one eyebrow raised in perfect imitation of Aizawa.

Izuku wanted to argue on his mentor’s behalf. It had been a long couple of years for him- well for everyone and it all may just be catching up with the older man. But one look at his best friend’s scrutinizing gaze, concerned and protective rather than cold and calculating like Yagi-sensei’s.

“You’re not.”

Hitoshi’s eyes softened a fraction at the admission. “Has it gotten worse?”

“Yes.” Izuku sighed as he leaned a little into his friend’s side. “He can barely even look at me now.”

“Is this about...?” Hitoshi trailed off leaving the question hanging in the air.

Izuku shook his head. “I’m not sure. I thought he had accepted the fact that my dads now know about my Quirk. And unless he found out about you and Tsu knowing, I don’t know what this is all about.”

“Well, for his own safety, he better learn to express himself better soon. I’m pretty sure that he’s one withering glare away from Aizawa-sensei tearing into him.”

The greenette snorted at that knowing all too well just how protective his dads could be. “Give it a couple of hours. I’m sure after I talk to him and pops, it won’t be long.”

“Sounds about right. Okay, Izu. I’ll see you later then.”

Izuku bade his friend goodnight before settling down on the couch to do more homework until his parents came back.

It wasn’t much longer until the front door to the apartment and he could hear his dads toeing off their shoes in the entryway.

“Daddy! Papa!” Eri emerged from further down the hall running up to the two men and holding her arms open for a hug.

“Hey, Pumpkin,” Hizashi greeted happily, scooping his daughter up.

Aizawa offered up a soft not smile, ruffling his daughter’s hair. “You ready for bed, Firefly?”

The little girl nodded, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

“Let’s get you to bed then, love.” Hizashi readjusted his hold on the girl and carried her back down the hallway to her room.

Aizawa ambled over to the couch, dropping next to his son. Izuku wasted no time in leaning into his dad’s side, relaxing further when a hand began to card through his curls. “What’s going on, Green Bean.”

Izuku leaned further into the man’s side, contemplating how to voice his concerns to his dads. He began to fiddle with his hands, pulling at his scarred fingers until another, larger hand settled on top of his. He looked up to see his pops crouched in front of him, gaze soft.

“None of that, Bug.” The blond man got up and settled on his son’s other side. “What thoughts are racing around in that big brain of yours, Bunny?”

“All Might… I still don’t know what’s going on with him and…” Izuku trailed off, staring down at his hands.

The two heroes exchanged a glance, worry seeping into their veins, not for the first time that day. They kept quiet, however, giving their son more time to gather his thoughts before continuing.

“Well, he just… it seems like he’s become even colder than before. It’s like I’m under a microscope when he’s around as if he’s waiting for something to happen but… I have no idea what he’s waiting for.

Hizashi frowned at that, the same feral glint returning to his red eyes. He brought a hand up to gently card through the teen’s curls. He made eye contact with his husband again, both men silently conversing. Did they say anything? How much would telling the teen what they had witnessed during their meeting really help? It would no doubt cause him to be even more apprehensive than before. On the other hand, Izuku trusted them more than anyone. He trusted them to always be honest with him. And it did seem logical to make him aware of what they and Nedzu had discussed so he wasn’t caught off guard if anything were to happen. They were his parents and they understandably wanted to protect him from everything they could, even a truth as alarming as this. They also wanted him to have as much information as possible so he was able to protect himself. After a few moments of silence, Aizawa nodded to his husband. They had never lied to him before and they weren’t about to start now.

“We don’t know for certain, Cariño.” Aizawa gently tugged the kid further in his side, arm wrapping around his shoulders. “During our meeting, Tsukauchi informed us that the Hero Commission was looking further into the U.A. traitor investigation.”

Izuku glanced up at the man in confusion but remained quiet.

Hizashi picked up where his husband had left off. “During the meeting, All Might was acting… off. He appeared agitated when the detective mentioned that the commission had possible suspects in mind.”

Izuku pulled away from his dad’s hold, looking at either man with trepidation gradually coiling around his heart and seeping into his veins. His always active mind began to piece everything together as he stuttered out a response. “Y-you mean… does he think I’m…” his fingernails dug into the couch cushions, breathing starting to quicken as that awful yet familiar burn of anxiety began to fill his stomach.

Hizashi wasted no time in scooting closer to his son, gently nudging him closer to Aizawa so both men were able to gather him in their arms.

“That’s the part we’re not too certain about, Love Bug,” Hizashi whispered. “He said nothing to anyone during the meeting and from what we could tell, neither Tsukauchi nor Nedzu seem to know what he’s thinking. Tsukauchi told us that the commission has not been forthcoming with their information.”

Izuku buried his face in his pops’ leather jacket, the two men feeling the barely-there tremors.

“Hey, Izuku,” Aizawa spoke, voice soft and firm and hand beginning to scratch comfortingly at the teen’s scalp. “No matter what Yagi is thinking, Hizashi and I plan on finding out what is going on. Whatever has been going on with him, we won’t let him hurt you, kid.” 

“Shou’s right, love.” Hizashi dropped a kiss to the boy’s temple. “I know this will be easier said than done but we don’t want you to worry too much. We’re working with Nedzu to find out what’s going on, love.”

Izuku pressed himself even further into Hizashi’s side, trying to steady his erratic breathing. After ten minutes of trying to ground himself by the smell of home and the feel of his dads surrounding him, he responded. “O-okay,” he whispered. “I trust you guys.” He felt the arms around him tighten protectively. “I love you.”

“We love you too, bun. We love you so much.”

Chapter Text

|| January 30th ||

Yagi Toshinori looked upon the man before him, in funereal silence. Eyes that had witnessed the rise and fall of far too many comrades, seen the destruction of so many innocents and beheld the sheer harrowing and devastating reality that the world had to offer, stared back at him. Thoughts of ‘this wasn’t real- this couldn’t be real’ ran through his mind like a mantra. How could he have been this laughably naive?

He tore his eyes away from his reflection to focus on the lone occupant of the room on the other side of the glass. Hurt and anger stirred in his gut, body rigid and knuckles bleached white as he thought back to everything he had learned weeks prior.

||||

|| January 17th ||

Toshinori made his way through the long, eerie halls of the Hero Commission building, dread heavy like osmium settling in his stomach. Katsumura had not given any hint as to what she needed to speak with him about, only that it required immediate attention. All too soon, he found himself in front of the President’s door, apprehension spilling over his every move. He raised a skeletal-thin hand to the door, knocking lightly before opening it and entering.

“Katsumura-san, Esaki said you had something urgent to discuss.”

Katsumura Satomi glanced up from the file she had been sifting through, face grim. Her eyes dim and surrounded by years of both devastating and hard decisions.

“Yagi, yes.” She gestured to the chair in front of her desk. “Please sit down.”

The sickly man hesitantly took a seat, earlier dread now snaking its way through his veins and to his throat, impeding his airway. He leaned forward, looking his old friend straight in the eye.

“What is going on, Satomi? Is everything alright? Has anyone been hurt?”

“I’m afraid everything isn’t alright.” The woman closed the file in front of her and leaned forward, hands stapled together. “We have come upon some... startling revelations and if we do not act quickly hundreds of people could be hurt.”

Yagi stiffened at that comment, the force of the movement causing blood to dribble down his chin. Katsumura only slid a box of tissues toward her friend before resuming her earlier stance.

“As you know, over the past year, the students and staff of UA High School have fallen victim to several attacks by the League of Villains, most concerning being the ambush on the training camp last summer. That training camp was need to know. No one was to hear of it and the location was supposed to be undisclosed to everyone except those directly involved, yet they still found it. A possible traitor amongst the UA population was suspected and an investigation was launched which ultimately proved to be fruitless.”

Katsumura paused, sliding the file across the desk to the man. “Until now.” Gesturing for the former hero to open it up, she continued. “Recent information has led us to one concerning individual.”

Fear like ice crept up his spine, hands shaking even more than before as his hand extended forward to grab the file. Opening it up, he felt the air abandon his lungs. There was one name- a single name in the file that stood out in stark contrast compared to the rest of the report.

Midoriya Izuku. Young Midoriya. Izuku. His student, his protégé, someone he had trusted with his secret and his Quirk and so much else.

“This… this isn’t possible, Satomi.” Sudden anger shot through his veins at the thought of anyone dragging his student’s name through the mud. “This report is a farce. Who could  possibly be responsible for having gathered this information?”

Katsumura sighed, standing up and walking around the desk. She placed a comforting hand on his too-thin shoulder, expression placating. “Toshinori, we have sufficient evidence to support this belief. Midoriya Izuku is the mole.”

Yagi pulled back, standing to his full height, normally bright blue eyes darkening. “There must be some sort of mistake here. Young Midoriya is a kind, heroic and honorable young man who would never betray his loved ones.”

Katsumura only stared up at the man, voice hardening with the severity of the situation. “You need to look at the evidence in front of you, Yagi.” She gestured to the still open file, now abandoned on the desk. “

“No! No this doesn’t make sense. He couldn’t- wouldn’t do this.” He began to pace agitation and indignation burning him from the inside out. It… it can’t be.” He stopped turning to face his old friend, eyes frantic and heartbeat erratic. “If this is true then how did no one else catch this?”

Katsumura leaned against her desk, hands folded and expression forlorn. “So far, our investigation hasn’t turned up anything else- no apparent accomplices. At least not within the walls of UA. We fully plan to investigate to the fullest extent.” She paused for a moment, giving him a chance to wrap his head around what he was hearing.

Yagi felt lightheaded, the words Satomi had spoken flashing through his mind and canceling out every other coherent thought. Only one singular thought remained, sticking like glue. A stream of ‘Midoriya was the traitor… Midoriya was the traitor. It had been him all along’ raced through his mind like a mantra. He could barely focus on his friend’s next words.

“It is entirely possible that the staff, Nedzu included, are too attached to see what is going on. He managed to fool you. In due time, everyone else will see what we do.”

He felt that same fuzziness attack his mind once more as he fixated on the earth-shattering words crashing around him. This couldn’t be happening. But it was.

||||

|| January 30th ||

Yagi closed his eyes trying to control his breathing and steady his heart in order to focus on the situation at hand. That was then. This was now.

Katsumura emerged out of nowhere, eyes focused on their current source of strife sitting on the other side of the glass. “You’re having doubts.” An observation rather than a question.

He tilted his head down to look at her while still keeping an eye on the room before them, considering his words before replying. “All of this, the evidence that you’ve gathered… it does not sound like young Midoriya. It does not sound like the child that I chose to pass my Quirk onto. None of it makes sense.” He turned his attention fully to his old friend. “And yet, if it is…”

Eyes slipping closed for a moment with a hint of frustration, the president settled her gaze back on her old friend, pity bleeding through. “You can’t keep letting your attachment get in the way, Yagi. Things can’t be like yesterday when you brought him in.” She rested a hand on his arm, rubbing comforting circles up and down. “Toshinori, he betrayed you and there’s no changing that.”

The former number one hero was gutted by that statement. “I trusted him with so much- I can’t just forget that. But… to know that he’s chosen to throw that all away…”

“You’re doing the right thing- you are. She retracted her hand, full attention returning back to the situation at hand. “However, we need to move fast. Everyone else can’t see it yet we can- you can. But you need to go through this without letting your emotions drive you. Once you’ve gotten past those emotions, it will allow others to realize the truth as well. Midoriya Izuku can only hide behind others’ blind loyalty for so long before his true intentions are exposed.”

Yagi, not for the first time since this nightmare began, felt everything crash through his mind with unrelenting force, every sordid detail blurring the line between pride and trust and his duty as a protector- a hero. Katsumura was correct. He had allowed himself to lower his guard and allowed himself to think with emotion rather than logic and it had endangered so many lives. He simply nodded, presence dismal and defeated and resembling no more than a worn-down shell of a man. He couldn’t make that mistake again.

He cast his glance towards the other room once more, thinking back to the day before. Devastation began to chip away, anger beginning to simmer at how everything had played out.

|| January 29th   ||

The students of 2-A were concerned. They had noticed subtle changes in Izuku over the past couple of days and their worry only kept climbing. He had seemed increasingly nervous and on high alert, something they hadn’t truly witnessed since the beginning of first year and he always looked ready to pass out. They already knew that sleep had never been kind to him to begin with but over the past couple of weeks, it had seemed unavoidable more so today than ever.

They were in one of their last classes of the day and the greenette hadn’t had much luck in keeping up. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly, probably for the twentieth time in ten minutes as he listened to Ectoplasm continue his lecture. If it hadn’t been for Hitoshi’s foot lightly kicking his desk every few minutes, he would have passed out already. For about the fifth time that class period, he jerked awake, sending his friend a grateful look.

Kaminari, who had been studying the greenette the entire class period leaned towards his friend’s desk, eyebrows. “Hey, Midobro… are you okay?”

Those of their classmates that were sat around them leaned just a centimeter closer, trying to not seem as if they were eavesdropping.

Izuku put on a bright smile that didn’t reach his eyes, trying to reassure his friend. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

Not a single person bought that.

Kaminari huffed, yellow eyes laced with concern narrowing in disbelief at that answer. As he opened his mouth to dispute that response, Ectoplasm called their attention back up to the front. His eyes latched onto Hitoshi’s as he directed his attention back to the lecture noting the ill-concealed worry that clouded them. Kaminari noticed the barely-there shrug indicating that he too had no idea what was going on with his best friend. At least not all of it.

The rest of class seemed to drag on longer than normal after that with Izuku nearly falling asleep twice more. They were finally dismissed, half an hour later. Izuku sluggishly laid his head on his desk, forcing back a yawn. He forced his eyes open when he felt someone rest a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he was met with the concerned eyes of his best friend.

Not one to have ever beaten around the bush, Hitoshi asked the question that had been plaguing them all for days. “What’s going on, Zu?”

For the briefest of moments, Izuku considered once more brushing it off with a claim that there was nothing to be worried about. Looking back up, however, he was met with concern-clouded eyes and he quickly banished that idea. With a heavy sigh, he spared a glance at the couple of classmates who were lingering by the door, hoping to listen in.

Catching onto his friend’s hesitance, Hitoshi waved Kaminari and Todoroki off, the rest of their classmates having already vacated the room to give the two some privacy. He sat at the desk directly in front of Izuku, turning to face him. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to, Greenie but I am here if you need to talk. We just want you to be okay. Well, as okay as you can be with being a student in Class 2-A.”

Izuku snorted softly at that. He wasn’t exactly wrong. The curly-haired teen leaned back against one of the desks, turning over the words in his head before replying. “It’s just… there’s a lot happening right now.” His eyes slipped shut, trying to think of how much he wanted to divulge. “And I’m not sure how to process any of it.”

“Does it have anything to do with… All Might?”

Izuku winced at the mention of his mentor, something that didn’t go unnoticed by his friend. “Technically yes… I think.”

Hitoshi sat silently, waiting for Izuku to continue when he was ready.

“I don’t know how much is or isn’t true and I’m not sure how much I should talk about…”

The purple-haired boy shook his head in reassurance at that. “You don’t have to say anything, Zu.”

Izuku glanced at the entrance to the classroom fleetingly before leaning forward, responding with a whisper. “I think… I… I think he’s… doubting me, well my loyalties to him… and to everyone…”

It took only a split second of confusion on Hitoshi’s part before his mind connected the dots sprinkled within that one sentence. Confusion quickly led to incredulity and rapidly became indignation. “He… he thinks that you...?”

Izuku shook his head, trying to soothe the obvious anger lacing his friend’s voice. “That’s the thing, I don’t know. We don’t know.” He leaned forward, scrubbing his hands across his face as if it would erase the uncertainty and exhaustion. “I don’t know, Hito,” he whispered.

He leaned forward a few centimeters more when he felt a hand begin to comb through his hair. He removed his hands from his face, smiling tiredly at the boy in front of him, feeling an ounce of weight lifted off his shoulders from confessing to his friend. Only one short year ago, he would’ve stubbornly kept insisting everything was alright and burying everything deep down. A year ago, he didn’t trust anyone with anything quite like he trusted his parents and his friends, mostly Hitoshi, right now. It was a cool relief from the burning worry and anxiety that had always plagued him.

“My parents are looking into things and I’ve been trying not to think about it.” Another yawn managed to escape him.

Hitoshi nodded at that, recognizing the obvious need for the conversation to end. Aizawa and Mic-sensei had a handle on it and they would undoubtedly figure things out. They always did. He ruffled green curls once more before replying. “Ok, Greenie.”

Another smile was aimed at him, this one truer than any Izuku had shown in the last few days. “Thanks, Hito.”

“Always, green bean.”

Two achingly slow hours dragged by before the school day was finally over. Everyone quickly filed out more than ready for the weekend. Once outside the classroom, Izuku started in the other direction of where his friends were heading, waving to them.

“I’ll see you guys later. I need to pick up Eri and walk her home."

“Do you want one of us to come with you, Izu-chan, kero?” Tsu offered, hovering by the door with Hitoshi.

Izuku waved them off with a soft smile. “I’ll be alright, guys. I’m gonna visit with my parents for a while so I’ll see you two back at the dorms.”

She nodded at that, turning to walk off with Hitoshi. “We’ll see you later then, Izu-chan.” Both teens waved goodbye to him as they disappeared down the hall.

He smiled after them only letting it fall once they were completely out of sight. He leaned against the wall for a few moments, forcing back his exhaustion for just a little while longer before pushing himself up and making his way to his sister’s classroom. He only had seconds to brace himself before a blur of red and white barreled into his legs.

He bent down, gathering the little girl in his arms. “Hey, ladybug.” He placed a kiss to her temple.

"Izu-nii!! We made drawings today! Wanna see mine?"

"Always, love." Izuku set her down and let her lead him over to the wall where everyone's artwork hung.

He beamed, heart melting at seeing the drawings she had created of their small family - a beautiful stick figure drawing with something that was obviously Dad's capture weapon wrapping around both kids' shoulders while his hand carded through Izuku's and Pops on their other side, laughing along with the kids. And it appeared Nedzu-sensei was there in the background.

"Do you like it, Izu-nii?" Eri was staring up at him nervously, eyes shining in question.

The teen knelt down next to the little girl, a smile taking completely over. "I adore it, Eri. It's absolutely beautiful."

Eri's smile returned as she crawled into her brother's arms. "That's you, and me and Papa and Daddy." She pointed to each person in the drawing. "And there's Mr. Nedzu in the background, annoying Daddy as usual."

Izuku huffed a little at the accuracy of that statement. He met Eri's eyes a moment later. "Would it be alright if I hung this masterpiece on my wall at home?"

The red-eyed girl nodded excitedly, throwing her arms around Izuku's neck. "Of course, silly! It's for you!"

Izuku returned the embrace, smiling into his sister's hair. "Thank you so much, sweetheart."

The two sat there for a while longer, admiring more of the girl's drawings as well as Yoshima and Yoshika's. Soon they were saying their goodbyes to the two children as well as Egawa-san before heading out for home.

Walking out of the building and down the path, they came across Bakugou and Kendou the latter giving a friendly wave. 

“Hello, Midoriya-kun, Eri!" 

Izuku waved back at her with a small smile while Eri hid her face in his neck, waving shyly. His eyes flitted over to Bakugou, nodding amicably at the other boy. 

“Bakugou.” 

The blonde stuffed his hands in his pockets, nodding back. “Nerd.” 

Rolling her eyes, Kendou lightly slapped Bakugou’s arm. “Be nice, Kats.” 

“I was!” Bakugou stared at the girl in irritation. “And what I have said about you extras calling me that? I- ow!” 

“That was then, this is now," Kendou huffed.

“I acknowledged him, I didn’t blow anything up. What about all that ‘progress shit’ you were droning on about last week?” 

Eri giggled at the scene before them, relaxing more in her brother’s arms. “You’re funny, Kaa-chan.” 

Izuku snorted at that, watching the blonde’s eyes widen and narrow at that, blubbering and trying to find words while Kendou laughed in the background. 

Before he could say anything, Eri was drawing everyone’s attention back to her. 

"Izu-nii." 

Izuku looked down at his little sister when she pulled on his blazer. "What is it, ladybug?" 

She pointed to something way down on the other side of the path. "Who are they?" 

The three students turned curious glances to where the little girl was pointing. Heading up the pathway, towards them, was a group of men, all in suits, and All Might, the latter being too far away to gauge any mood the man might be in. 

A small sense of foreboding took up residence in Izuku’s gut at seeing them. "I... I'm not sure..." 

Kendou narrowed in suspicion. "Whoever they are, how did they even get onto school grounds?" 

Izuku held Eri tighter when the girl let out a soft and stressed whine. "I think All Might let them in... but then do the other teachers know? Where are they?" 

“Those fuckers obviously don’t or they’d be here. And maybe instead of sitting here like a fucking bunch of sitting ducks, we should leave.” 

For all his fronts and bravado, Izuku had known him long enough to understand the edge in his voice. This situation, whatever it was, didn’t sit right with him. The foreboding began to pool through his stomach and up into his veins as they got closer. "I don't know but this doesn't feel right." 

Kendou grabbed onto Bakugou, maybe in an attempt to keep in grounded. "We should." 

Izuku looked over to the other two teens making a decision. "Whatever happens, I want you guys to take Eri and go back to the dorms.” 

Kendou frowned at his request, not fully understanding where this was going. Bakugou had a better idea. 

“Whatever, Nerd. Don’t try passing your responsibilities onto us. I’m not about to be in charge of any rugrat.” 

“Please. This... this doesn't feel right and I don't want her anywhere near this. Whatever it is. Go find another teacher or anyone and let them know. I'll be fine. We're still on school grounds - nothing can happen." 

Kendou hesitated for a moment, not comfortable with leaving a fellow student behind, before nodding in agreement. None of them knew what was happening but Eri did not need to be anywhere near it. And so long as they were on school grounds, if anything happened, Izuku would be safe until she and Bakugou could find another teacher. 

"Excuse me, nerd? You can't fucking tell me what to do!" 

Izuku only ignored him to focus on the form trembling by his side when one of the suits called out. “Midoriya Izuku?” 

“I-Izu-nii?” 

Ignoring the woman, Izuku, knelt in front of the girl, wanting to get her out of there as soon as possible. “Eri, I want you to go with Bakugou and Kendou right now. Ok, Ladybug? I’ll be there in just a bit.” 

Kendou gently took the girl’s hand as she began to shake. She knew that something was up just as much as her brother and she didn't want to leave him. 

“Come on, love. It’ll be alright", Kendou whispered softly, giving her hand a gentle tug. 

Her attempt to bring with her Eri proved futile when the girl slipped away from her hold. Before she could run to Izuku however, she was caught by Bakugou. 

Eyeing the quickly descending group, Izuku focused his attention on her. “Eri, I need you to go with them, please.” 

“No!” 

"Eri, please." 

"No!" 

“Midoriya Izuku.” The same voice sounded right in front of them causing the kids to freeze. 

Izuku turned to look at his mentor, hoping he could draw some answers out of him. “All Might… are you okay?” He glanced around the man, sparing quick looks at the people standing behind him. “Wh-what’s going on? Who are these people?” 

All Might stared down at him, face tense and eyes pulled tight with grief and anger, studying the boy as if Izuku were a frog or a lab rat about to be dissected before turning away from him as the officials accompanying him took his place. 

“Midoriya Izuku, you need to come with us.” 

The foreboding was now a full-blown dread that engulfed him like a fire. 

No. 

“I don’t understand, what’s going on?” 

Please no. 

“We’re placing you under arrest for treason and conspiring with the League of Villains.” 

What? 

Izuku felt all the air drain from his lungs, hearing that, the words registering and not registering at the same time, roaring around him. 

"K-Kendou, go now. Go get someone. Anyone." The girl hesitated for a moment, still recovering from the shock of that accusation, before nodding and running off. 

One of the officers took advantage of Izuku’s shock to roughly grab his arm and twist it behind his back while maneuvering the other behind his back as well, cuffing him. 

Another of the officers made to go after her before being stopped. 

“Leave her and the other two. They are not our concern and we will be out of here soon enough.” 

“Hey, All Might, do something!” Bakugou looked angrily at the retired hero and was shocked to see him shaking his head, skeletal hand held up to halt any further protest. 

“I’m afraid that I cannot. This has been a long time coming.” The blonde man was looking at his protégé with sorrow. 

Staring back, betrayal and confusion twisted together in bright green eyes. “S-sensei?” Izuku asked,  

“I trusted you with my secret. I gave you a chance to be something more only for you to turn around and betray me. How long did you think you could hide this?” The older man could only stare down at the boy, eyes cold and furious. 

Izuku reeled back. “What are you talking about?” 

“I believe all questions are best answered back at the commission building,” the man holding Izuku cut in. 

Izuku only kept his gaze on his mentor. Ex mentor? He believed it. All Might, he… he honestly believed what they were saying. He believed without a shadow of a doubt that Izuku could and did betray everyone he loved. 

“W-wait. That’s not me. You know that’s not me. You know that I’d never betray any of you.” He flinched when the Commission official tightened the handcuffs. He sent a glare toward the man and was met with a grim frown and eyes full of glee. 

"Now, young man, there's no use resisting arrest. We have undeniable proof and we will go over everything and assign proper sentencing in due time.” 

Sentencing?! His heart began to beat harder and faster, the fear and anxiety wrapping around his throat. Before he could respond or yell, scream, cry, plead or anything else, he was reminded that they had an audience when he heard small whimpers coming from behind him. Eri. 

“What the actual fuck? You think he’s the traitor? Have you lost your goddamn mind?” The only thing keeping Bakugou from releasing the cap on his anger was the little girl whimpering in his arms who, as it happened, was trying to fight tooth and nail to get to Izuku. 

Fists clenching and muscles tensing, Izuku called out. “Bakugou, take Eri back to the dorms.”

“If you actually fucking believe that I’d leave you here alone, then-”

“Kaa-chan, please.” Izuku cut him off, tone firm and desperate. “Please don’t let her see any more of this.”

Middle school Bakugou wouldn’t have listened. He would’ve just jumped right in, hands popping and burning with explosions, not giving a thought to much else. Bakugou from a year ago would have told Deku to not tell him what to do and he probably would have used his Quirk on the then quiet and meek boy. Present day Bakugou? In this moment Bakugou? He knew better than to argue or push the issue. There was still a part of him that burned with the need to ignore the order and just start hitting but there were so many things to take into consideration now. His pride was not one of them, but Eri’s safety was. With those thoughts in mind, he tightened his hold on the small girl, picking her up. He began to run away before anyone else could react as Eri began to fight even harder to escape the blond’s arms. 

“NO! IZU-NII!! PUT ME DOWN! I WANT IZUKU!”

Bakugou clenched his teeth as if that would drown out the little girl’s cries. It didn’t. It also did nothing to tamp down the slowly rising, overwhelming guilt that bubbled up like lava from his stomach to his throat, burning and clogging. He had left De- the ner- Izuku. He had left Izuku. He had left his once best friend behind.

He reached the dorms moments later and, before he reached them, the door to the building swung open revealing Ashido and Uraraka peering out in curiosity.

Having heard her cries and now laying eyes upon Eri, Ashido stepped forward “Bakugou? What-?” She stopped in front of them. “Eri? Oh, sweetheart. What is it? What’s wrong?” Mina stepped fully out of the dorm house.

The little girl attempted to run off again once she was sat down only for Bakugou to grab hold once more, handing her over to Ashido’s waiting arms. Once in her familiar arms, Eri turned desperate red eyes toward the older girl.

“Mimi-chan.” Eri latched on to the other girl, trembling intensifying as she fought to quiet her sobs. “Th-they-” She buried her face into the older girl’s shoulder. “W-we have t- g-g-go back. Izu-nii is-”

"Izu-nii is what, sweetheart? Where's Izuku?"

“Bakugou… What happened?" The blonde looked up to see Yaoyorozu standing in front of him. "Why is Eri crying? Why is she saying we have to go back?”

The explosive teen opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out.

“Where… where’s Midoriya?” Todoroki was talking this time.

Again, nothing came out.

"Bakubro?" Kirishima. Maybe?

"Baku- Katsuki! What happened?" He didn't even fucking know at this point.

The blond could only stare at them, the once scorching guilt rapidly dissipating, a heavy numbness taking its place. He didn't even respond when gentle calloused hands steered him inside. For the first time in so long, Bakugou felt so lost for words.

|| January 30th ||

Yagi watched as Satomi entered the interrogation room that held his former protégé, any lingering doubt or fondness he had retained only days before vanishing.

He wouldn’t make that mistake again. This ended here.

Chapter Text

Hey all- I am so sorry I've been so negligent with this story. It's been a rough year and I haven't been doing the best to be honest. A beloved family member k*ll*d themselves and it was a bad time. I lost a lot of passion for writing and interacting with people. I am starting to feel better slowly but surely. The family is doing better too. I just wanted to share with you all that I will continue this story but there will be some rewrites to certain aspects of it- adding more details and changing some aspects of what is already written. It's something I've been thinking about lately and I hope you all can be patient with me and these changes. I hope to see you all again really soon and know I love you all

-Riley 🧡🧡🧡

Chapter Text

|| January 29th ||

'Faster. Faster, I have to go faster.' The singular thought ran round and round in Kendou's mind like a record stuck on repeat. After leaving Midoriya and the others, she sprinted off in the direction of the school building looking for someone, anyone, to help Midoriya. Adrenaline shot through her veins like fire, spurring her on just that much faster. She still couldn't wrap her mind around what was happening, just that it was happening. An array of images kaleidoscoped across her vision. Midoriya being cuffed. Eri crying. Bakugou struggling with whether or not to attack back. All Might not doing anything. Midoriya being arrested! And for what? What was that all about? What had the green-haired boy done to warrant that kind of treatment? All she could do now was find help. But no one was around. The school grounds appeared barren at this point, more like a ghost town rather than the bustling populace it always was. Where was everybody? It was laughably impossible that no one was here. The adrenaline was quickly turning into a festering panic deep in her gut as she continued to run back towards the main school building- panic she hadn't felt since the training camp. 'Faster.' She nearly cried in relief when she saw Ectoplasm.

"Ectoplasm! You have to come quick." She stopped in front of him, eyes wide and scared, the panic still spurring her on.

The teacher turned around in surprise. "Kendou-san? What is it? What's wrong?"

"The- Hero- Commission!" Every word came out she tried to calm her breathing down. "The hero commision! They're here and they- they're trying to arrest Midoriya. He told me to find someone and I didn't want to leave him and Bakugou there but I didn't know what else to do and-"

Ectoplasm tensed at that, the whites of his mask narrowing. He didn't have much time to question anything however if what she was saying was true. Though judging by the frantic look in her eyes and the tenseness outlining her shoulders, this was real. "Where are they now?"

She pointed in the direction of the dorms. "They cornered him on the path that leads to the dorms. Sensei... All Might is with them. He's letting them arrest Midoriya."

Pinpricks of unsurety poked at his mind when he heard this. That was... that didn't sound right. But, again, he had no time to contemplate or question anything. His students needed him. He nodded before taking off. "I'm going. I want you to go and find Nedzu or Aizawa and let them know what's happening. Now."

As the pro-hero ran away, Kendou set off once more, heading for the main school building. The apprehension had alleviated some knowing Ectoplasm was aware. He would help. He had to. But what if he didn't get there in time? She pushed herself more, a growing sheen of sweat coating her forehead. She couldn't think about that. He would get there in time and Midoriya would be safe. Now she had to find Aizawa and Nedzu. They would know what to do as well. She ran even faster. She couldn't let Midoriya down. She couldn't let anything happen to him. 'Faster.'

Something was wrong. Aizawa could feel it deep within his bones like an unsettling winter freeze that would not dissipate. And as the day had stretched on it sunk deeper and deeper. As a pro-hero of course, feelings akin to this were a common thing. Every kind of patrol, every day, produced scenarios of every and any kind, and more often than not things could go sideways in a second. So he knew what he was saying when he said something was wrong. This though? This didn't feel like an everyday occurrence- not like something his pro-hero persona would deal with. This felt like the apprehension of a parent- an all-consuming uneasiness that had wrapped around his heart, squeezing tighter and tighter, cutting off the ability to breathe normally. He looked over at his phone for probably the tenth time in the last two minutes. The overwhelming need to call Izuku to check on him and Eri, to have them stop by the lounge so he could assure himself that they were okay was running rapid through his mind, a tidal wave of hesitance and inclination battling to overtake the other. There shouldn't be a need right? This was UA- one of the safest places that anyone could be and his kids were never far away at all times, protected and well watched over. As a pro-hero however, Aizawa knew that sometimes that didn't mean much. Even the safest of places could have a crack in the foundation. Even the safest of places could prove a contradiction.

Dragged from his musings, Aizawa glanced at his phone once more as it began to go off disturbing the oppressive silence of the teacher's lounge and earning a glare from Vlad at just how loud the ringing was. Ignoring the other teacher, Aizawa inwardly sighed when he noticed who was calling. He pushed aside the papers he had been grading, standing up from his seat in the teacher's lounge and stretching his stiff muscles out. With one more sigh, he answered the call. "Nedzu."

Not bothering with pleasantries, the principal began speaking. “It appears that we have… visitors.”

What? That same apprehension began to weigh on him more and more. He knew his instincts well enough to know they were never wrong, especially as a parent. Something was wrong. He should have kept Eri and Izuku home today. He should have- STOP! He shook his head at himself, breathing in and out, trying to expel the ill-timed trepidation he felt. He needed to tamp down on these feelings, needed to focus. "And who might that be?"

"I can't say for certain, just that they entered through the front gates and no alarms sounded."

The pit of dread stretched from his bones to the pit of his stomach, up to his heart and finally snaked its way up his throat at the admission. Face still neutral so as not to alarm anyone he threw his capture scarf back on, heading toward the lounge door. “Do we know why they’re here?”

The cryptid did not get a chance to respond before a student came barreling into the room. Vlad and Hound Dog jumped at her sudden appearance, each standing up from their respective desks.

"Aizawa-sensei!" Kendou yelled. "It's Midoriya!"

The apprehension of a parent was now the fear experienced by a parent. Izuku?

Before anyone in the room could say anything she pushed on.

“The Hero Commission. They cornered him near the dorm buildings. All Might was with them. Th-they talked about how he betrayed everyone. They were trying to arrest him I think. I- I'm sorry I didn't stay but he told us to get Eri out of there and-”

A spark of dread blossomed in Aizawa's at hearing that. No. No, no, no. Before the girl could finish, the underground hero was running out the door, everything and everyone else, including Nedzu, forgotten. He needed to get to his son.

Toyosaki ran as fast as he was able to where Kendou had said the All Might and the Commission workers were supposed to be. Reaching the pathway that diverted to where the students live he cursed when he found it empty. No one was around. How was that possible? There was no way anyone could have gotten that far. Not with a struggling teenager. Trained eyes searched around before he took off toward the front gates of the school grounds, a mantra of 'get to Midoriya, get to him now,' playing on repeat in his mind. How had they gotten in? Well... dumb question. If Kendou was correct and All Might was letting this happen, then the former number one hero had to have let the commission in. But then where was Nedzu? He had to know they were here without permission. And what the hell did Kendou mean by All Might was doing nothing? Surely he wouldn't let the boy be taken. Especially without a parent present. And why would they believe that Midoriya of all people was the traitor? And wh-

"Please! All Might! Yagi-sensei, please make them let me go!"

Ripped out of the hurricane of thoughts plaguing his mind, Toyosaki could hear the cries not even a kilometer away. He pushed himself to run faster until he saw them in the distance. "ALL MIGHT!" The man called out when he saw the other following behind the group of suits. "All Might, what are you doing?"

Stopping, the older pro turned to look back at his colleague, eyes clouded over. "I am doing what must be done."

Toyosaki shook his head. "This is illegal! You cannot bring a minor in for questioning without a parent present."

One of the commission workers chose to speak up at this point. She stopped and turned to face Ectoplasm just like All Might, letting the other two suits take Midoriya. "This isn't a simple questioning. He's under arrest for treason. There is no doubt in any of our minds that he's the mole and he's working with the league."

Toyosaki felt sick to his stomach, a confounded anger settling in. What? He looked back to his colleague "Of everyone, you know that isn't true. How could you even say that? He's your student. Your protege."

All Might shook his head, fists clenched together. Every line of his body was wrought with the tension of a rattler ready to strike. "You're too blind to understand, Ectoplasm. I was too and it breaks my heart that someone I entrusted so much to could do this." He looked back to where Midoriya was still being dragged away before turning once more to train clouded eyes onto his colleague.

One of All Might's companions stopped to stand beside him. "You'll see soon enough that this is what must be done. You all will. We'll make sure of it."

Before the other pro could respond to that, the kid began speaking.

"But I- I didn't-" Midoriya turned to look right at Ectoplasm. "Sensei, I haven't done anything. I promise I-" He grunted as he was yanked forward, forced to look ahead.

Toyosaki frowned at that, coming to a stop in front of All Might and the woman as they blocked his path. "Let me through, All Might.

A deep-set sadness rolled off the former number one hero. "I cannot do that."

Not bothering to plead anymore, Toyosaki activated his Quirk a treacly-like substance leaking from his mouth. Instantly, a couple of clones appeared by the front gate, blocking anyone from leaving. "I will not let you leave with him. None of you have any legal right to be here."

One of the men holding Midoriya now spoke up. "Move now, Ectoplasm or we will have to take action. You have no idea what you are getting into."

"I know exactly what I'm doing and I will not let you take him." Another clone appeared behind them. "None of you have a leg to stand on. This is kidnapping. Nedzu will be here soon and you will all be taken into custody unless you release Midoriya now."

So focused was he on All Might and keeping Izuku within the confines of UA, that he didn't notice the needle until it was too late. Like a withering flame, his clones were diminished and Toyosaki found himself crying out in pain. It laced through his arm, weaving in and out of every vein. Struggling to not fall over, his eyes snapped up from his arm and to All Might and the woman who were no longer directly in front of him. They were now with Midoriya and the others, on the other side of the entry gate. Toyosaki struggled to take a step forward movements sluggish and steps plodding like he was walking through quicksand.. Faster. He had to get to them faster. But that wasn't going to happen. He tried activating his Quirk again and winced as the same frigid pain in his arm spread to his throat. He could feel his Quirk wanting to work but it felt as if there was a stopper on it and the colder his veins felt, the farther away his Quirk felt. Another step forward and just that much closer to the group. Within the next step though, they were gone. They blinked out of existence, nowhere to be seen. Just like that. Groaning, he looked around frantically. No. They couldn't be gone. He couldn't have failed his student. Anger settled in his stomach mixing with the sorrow that had settled in his heart. He was brought out of his inner turmoil when he heard yelling behind him.

"Izuku!" Aizawa appeared next to him, looking around. His normally calm demeanor was gone and a desperateness only a parent could know had taken its place. He felt his heart stop when he saw no one else around. No green hair. No suits. No tall, blonde, former number one. No one but his colleague who was looking so devastated. "Where is he, Ectoplasm? Where are they?"

Guilt like nothing Toyosaki had ever known consumed him from head to toe. It clogged his throat, barely letting him dredge up the words that needed to be spoken. He had let his friend down. He had let his student down. The other pro could only shake his head.

No...

There was a roaring in Aizawa's ear, the words his friend spoke barely making any sense.

"I wasn't fast enough."

No, no, no...

Spots began to dance across Aizawa's vision, his throat closing up.

"I-I'm so sorry, Aizawa."

NO!

Aizawa crashed to the ground, sinking to his knees. They had been too late. Izuku was gone, branded a traitor. The Hero Commission had taken their son. Something settled on his shoulder, a small hand touching his cheek.

"Shouta."

Someone was calling him. Someone was right here next to him. He couldn't focus, however. His son was gone. He needed to get out of here. He needed to find him, his son. He needed to have him safe in his and Hizashi's arms. He needed to hunt down Yagi and whoever else was responsible for taking Izuku. He-

Tiny hands grabbed at his face, forcing him to redirect his attention. "Shouta, I need you to focus. I need you to breathe."

Nedzu? Black met black as Aizawa was slowly brought back to reality."Iz-Izuku... Nedzu they..."

His mentor nodded at him, ears flat and eyes narrowed. "We will get him back. You have my word. But you need to breathe."

Toyosaki still stood to the side, the same guilt overtaking everything. He was the cause of his colleague's current state of mind. But there was no use dwelling on that, at least not right now. Nedzu was right. Aizawa needed to breathe and he and Toyosaki needed to focus. The Hero Commission had abducted one of their students and they would get him back. Someone calling out ripped The teacher's attention from the scene.

"SENSEI!"

Shinsou hadn't even waited for Bakugou to speak. When he saw the state Eri was in and heard her calling out for Izuku, he ran off.

"Shinsou! Come back!"

"Where are you going?"

"What's happening?"

However, the lilac-haired teen ignored them all, soon disappearing down the path away from their home.

"I'll bring him back," Iida promised as he ran after him.

That had been ten minutes ago.

When Bakugou and Eri had been ushered into the dorm building, Ashido and Yaotoruzo had quickly disappeared upstairs with the still shrieking girl, trying hard to calm her.

"They took him..." had been all he could whisper at first. Tsu had taken off after Shinsou and Iida at hearing that.

The silence that now blanketed the common room of the 2-A dorm building was thick and suffocating, a weight that seemed to crush the students of 2-A and Bakugou more and more with each passing second.

“I-” Sero cut himself off, trying to find the right words but growing increasingly frustrated with each second when nothing seemed to want to come out. 

How should they react to this? What were any of them supposed to say? This couldn’t be happening- none of it made sense. Were any of them even awake or were they stuck in some sort of horrendous nightmare, unable and unsure of how to wake up?

Kirishima was the one who attempted to break the silence next. “They… they just took him? And All Might did nothing?” He looked over at the explosive blond that had once been someone he considered a friend. “I don’t understand. Why him? Why Midoribro?” 

Bakugou stood stagnant by the entrance to the room, face devoid of all emotion. He had been quiet since he had brought a sobbing Eri back to the dorms, movements robotic and sluggish. He had managed to tell them what he had witnessed and then had gone deathly silent, not reacting to anything- something so utterly alien to the explosive teen’s personality. And that sent a spike of terror up everyone’s spines.

He caught the red-head's eye. “The Hero Commission is saying that he’s the traitor.”

"What?!" Kaminari stood up from where he had been sitting next to Jirou.

Uraraka shook her head, not believing what she was hearing. "How on earth could they think that?"

Bakugou snapped. He punched the nearest wall before pulling at his hair. "I don't know. Okay!? I don't fucking know. All I know is that one second, he and Kendou are annoying the shit out of me and the next thing I know, he's ordering me to get the rugrat away from trouble. It all happened so fast and-" his hands began sparking. "Goddamnit! I should have stayed."

Kirishima stood up. "We need to let Aizawa know. He-"

Bakugou, still raging, cut him off. "Kendou already went to find someone. I don't know much after that."

"I'm going after Shinsou and Iida."

Uraraka was stopped by Yaoyorozu, the other girl placing her hands on her shoulder. "None of us are going. It's already enough that Shinsou, Tsu and Iida ran off. I know we all are worried and want to bring Midoriya back, but the teachers will need all their focus on what to do next."

"But-"

"She's right."

The students of 2-A all turned to look at the entrance to the common room where Vlad King stood, a solemn expression upon his face. "You all are to remain here while we proceed with what to do next. I understand your worry- I do. We share in the concern but now is the time to stay focused. Look after Eri and yourselves and trust us to help Midoriya. Can I trust that you will do that?"

They wanted to argue. They wanted to refuse. How could they just stand by and do nothing when their friend was out there and in trouble?

"You want us to fucking wait? To do nothing? No goddamned way! I-"

"Bakugou, that is enough!" Vlad looked at him with disapproving eyes. "I will not hear anymore from you on the matter."

Before the blonde could argue further, Kirishima wrapped a hand around his mouth while Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement. "We promise we'll stay here. For now." Her tone brokered no argument or sign of letting up.

Vlad hmmed at the answer before turning and walking away leaving the students of 2-A and Bakugou to their inner turmoil.

Shinsou had run. He had run and run and hadn't stopped. Not when his lungs began to burn. Not when he heard Iida calling out to him. Time slowed and sped up in tandem and all he had known, all he could register was that Izuku was in trouble and he needed to get to him. He needed to get to his best friend. He came to a sudden stop, Iida almost crashing into him.

There not even a kilometer in front of them were Aizawa and Ectoplasm, the former with a lost look on his face.

"Sensei!"

Aizawa didn't react to them, eyes trained on something in front of

"Kids, you shouldn't be here right now." Ectoplasm walked toward them, movement slow and lethargic.

"But... but Izuku! He... where is he, sensei?"

Iida had a worried look on his face as well, eyes scanning over everything, half expecting Izuku to just pop up out of nowhere- to abate their fears and worries. "Sensei? Please tell me- please. Where is he?"

Ectoplasm crouched in front of the two of them, head shaking. "We should get you back to the dorms."

"Not without Izuku." Shinsou's whispered reply was nearly lost to his friend and his teacher.

"Shinsou... I'm so sorry."

"No."

Iida grabbed onto the lilac-haired boy's shoulders, trying to steady him. "Sensei? Where did he go? What happened?"

The whites in Ectoplasm's mask drooped down in regret. "Let's get you three back." He didn't say anything more.

"B-but Izuku." Shinsou pleaded, eyes stinging. "He-" he felt another pair of hands on his shoulders and he turned his head to meet Tsu's forlorn eyes.

"He's right, Hito-kun. We-" She turned her gaze to where Aizawa still sat, talking to Nedzu. "We should go back. Give them time a chance to..."

Shinsou's eyes settled over Aizawa's form as well and a sorrowful ache stabbed at his heart. This was unreal. Surreal. To see his teacher so brokenhearted was like a punch to the gut. But they were all right. He, Tsu and Iida shouldn't be here right now. They should leave their teachers, their heroes to handle this. Because if anyone could save Izuku if anyone could bring him back, it was them. If anyone could, it was Aizawa.

"Okay," he whispered, looking up at Ectoplasm. "Okay, we'll head back." He felt Tsu squeeze his shoulder again as well as the barely-there tremors of Iida as the other struggled to hold back traitorous tears.

Reluctantly, the students turned and left.

Snipe paced back and forth, confusion and anxiety warring in his mind. “How did this happen? How the hell did they get past every security measure we have?”

“It’s because they didn’t trigger anything," Hound Dog replied from where he sat. "They just walked right in. Kenodu-san said that Yagi was with them. Since he works here, he would have been able to get them in and out."

Toyosaki, who had removed his mask, groaned from the bed where he lay, trying to sit up only to be stopped by Recovery Girl. "I should have been faster. I should have seen that needle coming."

Shuzenji rested a hand on his shoulder. "You did what you could, Toyosaki. You didn't know what you were heading into, only that we had a student in trouble."

"I still should have been prepared."

Snipe settled a hand on his friend's other shoulder. "Where are Aizawa and Nedzu now?"

"Aizawa and Yamada have gone with Nedzu to track All Might and the suits who took Midoriya."

"Has anyone heard from Tsukauchi?" Hound Dog asked as he stood up from his seat.

"No one has. I know Nedzu tried contacting him as soon as he was able to drag Aizawa back to his office but I don't think he's responded."

"I've already been trying to track All Might down as well. I have friends in the commission but not one is returning my calls."

The occupants in the room turned to see who had spoken, spotting the aforementioned detective.

"Tsuka-kun... how bad is it?"

"That I can't be too sure of. We're looking at charges of kidnapping and false imprisonment but the Commission has always... operated under a different set of rules. Some laws they feel don't apply to them and, in some ways, it will take a lot to touch them."

Toyosaki cursed at that, running a hand through his hair. "How long will it take to get Midoriya back?"

The detective sighed. "I honestly cannot say. The chief and I are trying to find a way currently waiting on a subpoena so we can get in to even talk to the commission. I know Nedzu is trying to pull his own strings to get in. It's only a matter of waiting now."

A morose silence washed over the room, shaking everyone to their very core. That was not what they had wanted to hear but what else could they do at this point? Right now, Aizawa, Yamada and Nedzu as well as Tsukauchi were doing everything they could think of. It really was a matter of waiting. Waiting, and trying to not do anything rash. The next few days were going to be long but one thing was for sure, they would get their student back. They'd make sure that Aizawa and Yamada got their son back.