Chapter Text
"Izuku, this is why I trained you. This is what you're meant to do. This is your only purpose for living. You are to protect Shigaraki Tomura at any cost. Even if that means dying." Doctor says.
"I don't want this twerp. He gets on my nerves. Kurogiri is enough. I don't need to be protected by a kid." Shigaraki crosses his arms. Izuku has never felt this much hatred come from one person. It scares him, but he knows better than to show it.
"I'm sure Kurogiri is enough on his own, but, now that you have more control over your quirk, someone more tangible will be a fine addition." Shigaraki doesn't budge. "He will be completely under your control so long as you don't kill him."
"He will do anything I say?" Doctor nods and Izuku understands, Shigaraki is his master. "Jump." Izuku thinks it's a weird request, but he does it. "So he does anything I say if I don't kill him. Can I hurt him?"
Doctor thinks for a moment before smiling kindly at Shigaraki. "Yes."
Shigaraki reaches out to Izuku with a wide grin. He makes contact. Izuku screams.
"I am legally required to introduce this student as the ex vigilante, Bunny. He is attending UA to be a hero, same as you." This is probably the strangest speech Shota has given on the first day of class.
"Liar. I'm only attending UA because I was forced to." Izuku crosses his arms and sticks his tongue out at Shota.
"You had a choice."
"Did not."
"You can walk out the door right now." Izuku stays silent. "Get to your seat."
"I understand that you may have questions, but they will not be answered. His time as a vigilante is classified, so any questions about it will not be answered. Is that understood?" Shota gives them a firm stare.
"Yes, Sensei." The class responds unanimously.
Katsuki knows this vigilante is Izuku, his Izuku. He knows it like he knows his own house. He looks exactly like him, and there's this... thing about him that's just Izuku. He looks older, acts differently, has a darker look in his eyes than he used to, but it's still Izuku. Even if he became a vigilante, which is oddly both exactly and not even close to how the old Izuku would do. That Izuku, wouldn't have even dreamed of breaking a rule let alone a law, but if he were to break one, he'd break it to save someone because that's just how Izuku is. Always saving people whether they want it or not.
This is actually Katsuki's second time seeing him ever since Izuku die- he's clearly not dead so disappeared seems like a better word. When he first saw Izuku, he felt too shocked to say anything. His emotions were such a blur even in that moment. Doubt was the most prominent, he remembers that much, at least. It was when that damned sludge monster attacked him. At first he thought it was the lack of oxygen getting to him, but then he heard Izuku speak.
"You can't charge me with shit. I didn't use my quirk, so it's not vigilantism. I know the agreement, and I haven't broken it. Also, I did your stupid job for you, so I expect reimbursement for the milk I threw at his eye."
That was his voice, but where did that backbone come from? Also, he's quirkless. Why is he making it sound as if he had a choice? Then again, they were so young when he was diagnosed. It's possible he developed a quirk in that time.
That was ten months ago, but he remembers it like it was yesterday. It's a reoccurring topic he has with his therapist. Some days he's almost sure he saw something wrong. Others, he'll just go the entire session, ranting about what he saw. How he has to find him. By the end of the session, she calmed him down enough so that he isn't bursting with anxiety.
"So you know him?" A voice snaps Katsuki out of his thought.
"Huh?" Katsuki looks at the guy who grabbed his attention, or mostly just looks at the shitty red hair. Seriously, who on Earth would think that's the way to style their hair.
"You're staring at him pretty intensely, so I was wondering if you knew him. He's a vigilante. Did he save you once?" Shitty hair asks.
"Tch, mind your own business." Katsuki scoffs.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to pry, that wasn't very manly of me. I'm Kirishima Eijiro. What's your name?" Shitty hair- fine, Kirishima asks. Katsuki can hear his therapists nagging voice telling him to try at least thinking their names instead of rude nicknames.
Katsuki stays silent, but Kirishima's stupid smile doesn't falter. Fine. Maybe just this once. This guy doesn't look too terrible, aside from the atrocity of his hair, and his therapist is going to ask about any friends and she's that stupidly nice type of person. The ones that if they look at you with disappointment, it might make you feel a tiny bit guilty. Reminds him of Auntie Inko and Izuku.
"Bakugou Katsuki, and I don't know him because he saved me. Our mothers were best friends, so we grew up together until Izuku... moved," died in a fire "I guess." Katsuki doesn't miss the way Izuku's head snaps to look at Katsuki. A look of suspicion briefly passes over his face before chatting happily with Cheeks and Glasses. It sends a chill down Katsuki's spine. "I don't think he recognizes me, it was a long time ago."
Izuku doesn't know why, but Bakugou Katsuki, Quirk: Explosion, has been staring at him. It only stopped when Kirishima Eijiro, Quirk: Hardening, started conversing with him. Izuku still keeps an eye, or ear, on Bakugo. He doesn't want Bakugo to know Izuku's paying attention to him. He is able to continue acting oblivious until he hears his name slip out of Bakugou's lips. He turns his head almost as fast as the necks he's snapped. He notices Shoto and Hitoshi do the same because they know that Izuku hasn't said his name to anyone not even Tenya Iida, Quirk: Engine, and Ochaco Uraraka, Quirk: Zero Gravity, who has been talking to him. They had practically cornered him. He couldn't sense any malice from them. He could feel Iida's disapprovingness, but Iida and Uraraka are just concerned for him. It's kinda sweet how two strangers can worry for a vigilante they know nothing about. Although, the main thing he is feeling from everyone is their curiosity.
"Is everything ok..." Iida trails off, unsure of what to call him.
"Izuku! My name's Izuku, and yeah. I just thought I heard something, but I misheard. Sorry about that." Izuku laughs it off.
"Understood, Izu... I apologize, but is there a last name I could call you by. This just seems too personal for strangers." Iida blushes. Izuku feels how uncomfortable Iida, but he simply doesn't have a family name, and he refuses to choose another one.
"Nope. You're stuck with Izuku unless you want to make up a last name for me." Izuku shrugs.
"Do you not have one?" So Uraraka is a bit blunt. He likes blunt people.
"I could probably get one if I wanted to. Oh, I could take the name Aizawa! Man would that piss off Eraser!" Izuku snorts. He stops when he realizes that Iida seems to be stuck on the fact that he doesn't have a last name, and he understands. You need to have a last name for all sorts of legal shit, but Izuku really couldn't say anything more. He doesn't have one. Plain and simple.
"Kurogiri, why don't we have a last name? Tomura has one, and so does Doctor and Master. Why don't we have one?" Izuku is careful to keep his voice down. The last thing he wants is to to wake up Tomura.
"We do not need one, Izuku. Last names are family names. The name links a person to other people they love. That is why Sensei and Tomura share the same last name. They are linked together. We do not have a family name because we do not need to be linked. Our only purpose is to serve and protect Sensei and Tomura. We are nothing without them." Kurogiri explains. He always has a way of making Izuku feel calm. He likes the way Kurogiri explains things more than Doctor, but Doctor is good, too! Doctor taught Izuku everything he knows. Izuku owes everything to Doctor.
"Not having a last name won't make us any less useful, will it?" Izuku asks.
"No, we can do our job just fine without one. If the occasion does arise for a last name, you know how to forge one." Kurogiri assures.
"Right." Izuku nods.
Katsuki isn't liking the picture Izuku is painting. If he doesn't remember his last name, then he probably doesn't remember Auntie or Uncle... or Katsuki, but why? What made him forget? Was it the fire? Something must have happened when he and Auntie died in that fire. Also, does Uncle know he's alive. No, he can't. They haven't spoken in years, but surely he'd still call to tell them Izuku is alive.
And where does that leave Auntie? If Izuku's alive, then maybe she is, too. Then again, she'd never let Izuku be a vigilante, and there's no going against Auntie. Even as a kid, Katsuki never argued with her. She was a complete angel and Izuku was following in her foot steps, so what happened? The painting keeps getting worse with every stroke.
"Wholly shit, dude! Is that just from being a vigilante?!" Katsuki at the loud mouth.
At loud mouth's words, everyone looks at Izuku. He has his shirt off and Katsuki notices two things. He's more ripped than any 15 year old has any right to be, and he has a shit ton of scars. He thought the giant hand print scar on Izuku's face was bad, but these are even worse. He's not an expert on scars, so he doesn't know what caused them all, but he's sure some of them are from some sort of sharp object, but that's all he can tell. He has no idea what the large oval-ish shaped ones are from.
Izuku looks at loud mouth oddly like he has no idea what loud mouth's deal is. Katsuki glances at loud mouth again, but his eye catches the person behind him, eyebags. He motions to his chest and Izuku looks down at his own before finally realizing the issue. Izuku barks out a laugh.
"Oh, these." Izuku snorts. "You know, people don't wake up one day and randomly decide to be a vigilante. Mentally stable people don't roam the city, in Mirko merch, stopping villains." He has a point. Katsuki just wishes he knew the story behind those scars. He's gone ten years thinking his best friend died in a fire. Now, he's back and has no memory of them.
As much as he wishes he could yell at Izuku and demand answers, he knows better. Ten years of therapy has made him learn to control his anger fueled impulses.
Katsuki groans internally as he sees Izuku put on his gym clothes. He stitched on the words I love Mirko and added bunny ears next to the words, but that's not all. No, he dyed his entire uniform so that it has the same color pallet as Mirko's hero costume, at least it matches the Mirko light up shoes. Katsuki doesn't usually pity others, but he really does feel bad for their sensei.
Eijiro isn't really sure he's doing the manly thing here. He knows eaves dropping isn't a manly thing, but he is concerned for a friend (could he even call him that?). He heard Izuku tell Bakugo to meet him on the roof during lunch, and apparently they were friends once, but that was a long time ago.
He doesn't actually think Bakugou is in danger. He trusts Izuku not to kill him. Well, he really trusts the heroes, and they clearly think Izuku is good. Izuku was a vigilante so he's clearly dangerous, but he must be safe enough to be allowed in UA. He even said himself that he stopped villains. Also, Aizawa-sensei said that Izuku is attending to be a hero, not reforming. That must mean he was already doing hero work, he just doesn't have a license, so Eijiro is convinced Bakugou is safe, but he's still worried.
Once he makes it to the roof, he sees two other people. If he's remembering correctly, Shinsou and Todoroki are their names. They give him this glare that almost makes him leave. Almost. He simply smiles at them and waits behind the door for Bakugou and Izuku to speak. It's silent for a long time before one of them speaks.
"What the hell do you want from me?" Eijiro can feel the anger radiating from Izuku. "You've been staring at me all day and I don't know why. At first I thought you recognized me from the Sludge villain incident, but then you knew my name and I know my name was never mentioned around you. Also, I feel fondness and recognition coming from you. So how the fuck do you know me when I don't know you?"
"I don't recognize you from the stupid attack. We used to be friends before you died in a fire with Auntie." Bakugou spits out the words.
"I think I would remember a friend that's alive from my childhood. All of them were killed except for me and one other person, but she might as well be gone, considering our situation, so you're not my friend. You have me mixed up with someone else." Izuku says so coldly it makes Eijiro shiver.
"I know I don't. You may have grown up, but you still look exactly the same as when we were five. Back then, we thought you were quirkless, but I guess that quack of a doctor was wrong. Also, I know you're friends with Eyebags. Y'all looked pretty buddy buddy when that loud mouth said something about your scars." Eijiro looks at Shinsou with wide eyes who winces.
"I-"
"Don't try to deny it. I'm not an idiot, and I won't tell anyone. I get why y'all are keeping distant. Being friends with a vigilante is sure to have some sort of backlash." Eijiro is sure Izuku is glaring.
"That friendship is a recent development." Izuku speaks lower, but not softer.
"Look, I want to know what the hell happened to my best friend. Especially since he doesn't remember shit, but I won't push. It's obvious you went through some shit. I don't blame you for not wanting to talk about it, but does your dad at least know you're alive? It killed him when he lost you and your mom." Bakugou seems to lose some of his irritation.
"You don't even know how true that is." Izuku laughs for a few more seconds before regaining his composure. "You say I died in a fire, right? Who do you know has a fire quirk? Because I did research on every single one of my classmates, and I know your parents don't have one."
"There's no fucking way Uncle Hisashi would do that. He loved you and Auntie."
"Maybe at some point, that I have no memories of, but he stopped loving us. I have no idea what his cover job was, but his real job was to take quirkless kids or those whose quirks will be rejected by society, and sell them to villains. I'm sorry Inko was dragged into it, but he made sure my death was faked so he could sell me off." Bakugou must not believe it because Izuku continues. "When I was with them, I'd see him all the damn time. He'd constantly remind me that he's the reason I was so lucky to be living with them. Most kids there didn't know their parents, and it's not until I escaped that I learned who my mother was, but I knew he was my father. I had no memory of my previous life, so I didn't know the life I was living was shitty. I was so fucking grateful to him.
"Anyway, a bunch of shit happened. I met a few people and realized that wasn't all there is to life. I learned about things they never wanted me to learn. I realized I hated what I was doing. That I needed out, so I waited a little longer. I waited until Master, Doctor, and Kurogiri had to leave. It was really lucky. I was alone with the guy I was supposed to protect and he could kill me with one touch, but he's usually asleep or stuck in his room playing video games on the highest volume possible, so I ran. I ran until I found Hisashi. I put a bullet through his head and that was my last murder. The only one I don't regret." Izuku finishes.
Eijiro doesn't know what to think. He guesses Izuku was a hit man. Which is crazy considering he's only fifteen. He saved Bakugou when he was fourteen and was probably a vigilante for longer than that. Well, maybe not. Maybe that was his first save and that's how he became a vigilante. At least he likes saving people and hates killing.
"I can't believe he told him all that." Todoroki whispers to Shinsou.
"Yeah, but Bakugou knew him before all that. He may not remember Bakugou, but I think he still feels like he owes him some sort of explanation for disappearing, even if it wasn't his fault." Shinsou explains.
"He's too good for this world." Todoroki gripes.
"He'd kill you for that." Shinsou smirks.
"I never liked Un- Hisashi like I loved Auntie, but I never outright hated him either." Eijirou can imagine the scowl on Bakugou's face. "I heard you telling Glasses and Cheeks that you don't have a last name, but you know who your parents are, so you have to know your last name."
"I know at some point in time it was Midoriya, but I don't have one anymore. At that place, you were stripped of everything that made you your own person except for your first name. They probably didn't care enough to rename us, and I don't mind not having the last name Midoriya.
"Last names link people together. I don't remember Inko Midoriya at all. Maybe she did love me, but I can't remember anything about her. When I researched her, I was able to find out what she looked like and her profession. She looked like a nice lady, but I don't feel any sort of connection, so I really only know the last name Midoriya from Hisashi, and I want nothing to do with him. The only name I'd want to take, would only hurt him. He can't be linked to me because if they ever find me, they'll either kill him or torture him to get me back, so not having a last name is fine by me."
"So you know everything then? Even though you have no memories, you know everything?" Bakugou asks.
"Not everything. There's not anything about me on the internet. It's like I never even existed. I don't even know how old I am." It sounds like Izuku is ashamed of that. He shouldn't be.
"Eh? Didn't you tell your buddies you're 15?"
"I don't know my birthday. I only know I'm around your age. I've just been going off of Hitoshi. If he's fifteen, I'm fifteen, but, in reality, I could be fourteen or sixteen. I have no idea. My age was never a priority. I knew I was a kid, but that's it. It didn't matter how old I was because I could do my job just fine, so how old am I? I mean, if we really were friends, you'd know this stuff, right?"
"Of course I know." Eijiro could feel Bakugou's eye roll. "You really are fifteen and your birthday is July 15th."
Eijiro knows Bakugou is dying for more answers, but is being respectful of Izuku. That's hella manly. Almost brings Eijiro to tears. That's when the door swings open. Izuku stops in front of Eijiro.
"I'm certain you won't tell anyone because I can feel that you're a good person, but I still feel the need to warn you. If you tell anyone what you heard today, I will destroy you. I may have given up murder and torture, but there is more than one way to utterly destroy someone." If Eijiro hadn't already peed before coming to the roof, he would have then.