Archive of Our Own

His coffee turned cold the instant it hit the floor, though not quite as cold as the bone chilling panic that traveled up his spine as his eyes fixated on the screens before him.

"Reports say the villain known as Tomura Shigaraki, the new leader of the Paranormal Liberation Front…”

" --attles at both Jaku Hospital and Gunga Mountain… a giant, rampaging villain…”

"... numerous hero casualties-- many U.A High students fighting alongside Pro Heroes--”

"It’s unclear just how many casualties… widespread panic all across Japan…”

“What… is this…?” Rody’s voice merely a faint, crackled whisper, desperate to make any sound at all. “No way…” He couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing or hearing. The words all jumbled together, like a language he’d never even heard of before. And while his eyes reflected the tragedy on his screens— complete terror and bloodshed spreading all throughout Japan— his vision began to cloud as tears started to fill his eyes against his will. “Deku…”

Pedestrians wandered back and forth behind him, some simply going about their day, while others stopped to comment on the news stories themselves. But Rody couldn’t hear those comments if he wanted to. All that lived in his ears was a high-pitched ringing and a deathly pounding in his head. The panic and anxiety flooded his mind, making it impossible for any other sounds to enter.

He stood there staring in terror for what felt like a century before he decided to pull out his phone. His fingers trembled as he frantically dialed the number. Six, four, seven—no, not six. Five. Damn it… His palms were a sweaty mess, nearly causing his phone to meet the splashed remnants of his Americano on the ground below.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon…. pick up …” Only the sound of incessant ringing filled his ear, and he eventually realized he wasn’t going to get through to the other end. If not a call, then a text. Something , he hoped.

‘deku please call me’

-Message undeliverable-

He furrowed his brows and let out a quiet ‘tch’ in frustration, wanting desperately to be clinging to something other than the cold metal of his phone. Passers-by continued about their business, not stopping to notice the look of sheer dread the bird on his shoulder carried, or even what it truly meant. Meanwhile, Rody could feel a part of him fading away every second he continued to stand frozen in that spot. He felt that if he didn’t move eventually—if he didn’t do something —he might disappear forever.

So, he started running. 

He didn’t know where exactly he was running to, or how he’d even get there, but he knew he just had to… No matter what.

ii.

“I just need you to watch my little brother and sister for a few days,” Rody urged, leaning against the bar at Stanley K’s. Though he tried his best to be his usually coy self, Rody’s demeanor was definitely off. Customers shared whispers among each other about him, but Rody couldn’t be bothered to listen.

“Does it look like I’ve got a place fit for raising a couple’a rugrats?” Stanley threw back at him, shrugging off the request without a thought. “Besides, you’ve left them by themselves before, haven’t you? Ask someone else.” 

“If I could, do you think I’d be asking you ? C’mon, old man, do me a solid.” Pino’s ruffled feathers were a clear indication that something wasn’t right, but Stanley didn’t so much as offer a glance.

“Why can’t you just take ‘em with you?” He asked, continuing to clean the glasses at the bar.

“You don’t understand!” Rody snapped in desperation, gathering the attention of even more customers. He paused for a moment, to compose himself before giving Stanley a look that explained it all. “I can’t take them with me,” he said, a bit calmer now. “Please, Stanley. I’m on my knees here, man. What more do you want?”

Beginning to understand how serious this issue must have been to Rody, Stanley softened a bit. “Y’know, begging is beneath you, Rody.”

“I’ll work free for a week,” he negotiated.

“Make it two and you’ve got a deal.”

“A week ,” he asserted, as Pino stomped a little foot down on the counter.

“Alright,” Stanley heaved out with a sigh. “How long are you gonna be gone?”

“Don’t know! Later!” He blurted out as he turned and sprinted out of the bar, pushing past the startled patrons and ignoring Stanley's shouted protest. Rody’s mind was set, there was no turning back now. He had to find Izuku and make sure he was safe, no matter what it took.

He raced through the streets of the city, dodging pedestrians and cars as he went. His heart pounded in his chest and his breath came in short gasps, but he didn't stop. Not even as Pino clutched to his shoulder in complete exhaustion. He had to find a way to get to Japan, and fast.

iii.

It was the first time he ever hated the idea of flying. If he had his way, he’d simply jump into the cockpit of the nearest plane and take control of the yoke himself. He knew he could get there faster that way, but that didn’t mean he should. Nothing about him in this scenario was composed, so it was probably best that he wasn’t the one piloting the plane. For his own safety. Plus, he was still months away from getting his license. Doing something like that would surely get him expelled too.

He scrounged up everything he could in order to have enough Eurus to get there. That cut into food expenses quite a bit, but he hoped (and, honestly, just assumed) Stanley would take care of feeding Roro and Lala while he was gone. After that, he’d just have to figure it out. They’d get by. They always had.

He’d worried about his siblings their whole life, so those thoughts were nothing unusual. But this was the first time he’d ever worried about somebody other than the two of them. And the first time he felt he couldn’t protect someone he cared about. The thought of that being a reality terrified him to his core.

By the time he had made it to the airport, Rody was about ready to keel over. But as long as he could make it onto a plane, he’d do his best to stay upright for as long as he could. “Excuse me!” Rody huffed, his chest heaving over the ticket counter at the airport. Pino, on the other hand, lies completely sprawled out on the counter, gasping for air. “I need a ticket to Japan please. Uh, Tokyo. The soonest possible.”

The woman at the counter took a step back, startled by this stranger’s sudden outburst. “I’m sorry, sir, but all travel in and out of Japan has been suspended…” She offered Rody a confused look. “Have you not seen the news?” She eyed the monitor in the corner that’s been displaying the horrific news coverage that’s been playing on TV screens all around the world all day long.

“ Of course I have. That’s why I need to get there, don’t you understand?” Is what he wanted to say to the woman, clenching his teeth in frustration. “For how long?” He opted to respond instead.

“I’m sorry, I really can’t say.”

Rody could feel his eyes begging to flood with water, but he did his very best to push back the dam. This wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He couldn’t. 

“There isn’t… anything you can do?” Rody asked, his voice sounding utterly defeated now.

For a moment, the woman at the counter softened, having some understanding of why this young man seemed so desperate to get to Japan. She looked back to one of the tv screens once more, then back to him… He must know someone there…

“I’m… terribly sorry sir… but there’s nothing I can do. It could be weeks before flights are available again. I’d urge you to just keep an eye on the news for now.”

His wide eyes lingered on her for a moment, hoping his expression would cause her to give in, but he knew it was futile. He turned back with a sigh, surrounded by a bustling crowd of airport goers, none of whom had any idea of the fear taking control in his mind.

After a moment, Rody clenched his teeth in frustration and suddenly took off running.

“This is stupid… this is so stupid…!” Rody sayid out loud to himself as he ran, huffing and puffing with every slam of his foot against the pavement, flowing tears being left behind in his wake.

He skidded to a stop when he made it to a small airfield on the outskirts of the airport. His eyes scanned the planes lined up on the runway, searching for one that looked fast and maneuverable. These weren’t commercial airliners, but rather utility aircrafts. He’d have at least a few hours before anyone realized it was missing. But when they do find out, he’d surely get kicked out of pilot school for it. Operating an aircraft without the proper authorization? He might face even bigger consequences than expulsion.

Once he made his way over to the one decided on, he fumbled with the lock on the door, his hands shaking with adrenaline and fear. Finally, with a satisfying click, the door swung open and Rody climbed inside. He’d flown a plane once before, but not one like this. He just hoped his training would be enough.

Before he started to take off, Rody felt a rustling in his jacket pocket. He reached inside and pulled out Pino, who was trembling and covering her eyes with her dainty feathers. Rody cupped his hands together and brought Pino in close to his face.

“I know, I know…” he said with a gentle whisper. “But please … for once could you just pretend? Just lie to me this once, okay? I need this… Please.”

Pino slowly pulled back her wings to get a look at Rody’s desperate face and couldn’t help but feel for him… even if she is just an extension of his own feelings. And deep down, she knew he was feeling so much more than just fear.

She shook off the nerves before jumping back into his pocket. Out of sight out of mind.

“Alright then…” Rody exhaled. “No going back now.”

He fired up the engines and sent the plane roaring down the runway. He gripped the yoke tightly as the jet lifted off the ground and into the air, climbing higher and higher into the sky.

A nonstop, commercial flight could get him there in twelve hours, Rody planned to do it in ten.

iv.

By the time Rody finally touched down in Japan, he was devoid of all energy. A sunken-eyed zombie in desperate need of that Long Black he left back in Otheon. He hadn’t slept a wink since he saw the news, but that didn’t mean he could slow down now.

Naturally, his first stop was U.A High. Whether Izuku was there or not, surely someone there would have an answer regarding his whereabouts. They had to know more than he did. But as he approached the gates of the school, he realized he hadn’t considered how his real challenge actually began at the entrance. He could see the whole place was surrounded by a heavy police presence as well as a number of Pro Heroes assigned to keep the perimeter secure. It only made sense UA would become a target since so many hero students were involved in the recent attack.

But he’d come too far to let a few police officers and Pro Heroes be the thing to stop him. He took advantage of the commotion at the school gates and began pushing his way forward.

“Hey buddy, no shoving!” One protester shouted his way.

“Watch it, man!” Another yelled at him.

“Damn it. I’m not gonna get in at this rate…” Rody muttered to himself. As he looked around trying to think of another way in, Pino began flapping her wings aggressively. 

That’s when it caught his eye– an open window on the second floor of Heights Alliance. As far as security protocol goes, that open window could have proven to be incredibly dangerous for the students. But for the sake of finding Izuku, it’s just what Rody needed.

He used the commotion at the gates to quietly sneak his way over toward that open window. His being agile came in handy quite a lot, and he was certainly glad it came in handy now. 

As he pulled himself through the open window, he found most of Izuku’s classmates in the common room, huddled together and looking worried. Once they noticed Rody, they rushed over to him, bombarding him with questions.

“Rody?!”

“What are you doing here?!”

“Were you followed?!”

“How did you even get in?!”

But he ignored all their questions. Rody’s eyes instead quickly darted around the room while Pino frantically flapped around, looking for any sign of Izuku. If only it were that easy to find him here. If only he were there, safe and unharmed all that time he’d been worrying…

“I’m looking for Deku—” He finally said, cutting through their cacophonous barrage of inquiries. 

“He ain’t here,” Bakugo’s growl cut through the group from the other side of the room. There was an annoyance and disdain in his voice that made it feel as though, if Izuku were in his presence, he’d surely spit at him.

“Well, where is he?” Rody followed up Bakugo’s remark.

“Who knows?” He scowled back.

“I don’t understand. What’s going on?”

“You got shit in your ears, trenchcoat? We don’t know where he is, and he ain’t coming back.”

“C’mon, cool it, man,” Kirishima urged Bakugo to calm down, with a tender hand on his shoulder. Even Kirishima wasn’t his usually upbeat self.

“What he means to say is, we’re all just as worried as you,” Uraraka chimed in, sympathizing with Rody’s panicked state. Not knowing how best to ease his mind, she walked up to him and cupped her hands together near his shoulder, beckoning Pino. She swiftly hopped into Uraraka’s hands and quietly chirped, accepting her comforting embrace.

“After the battle at Jaku, Deku was really badly injured, so he spent some time in the hospital recovering,” Uraraka began to explain. “But as soon as he was discharged, he just disappeared. He and All Might, both. All he left behind were these letters.”

“Letters?” Rody parroted, curious to see if it would leave him with more questions than answers.

Uraraka opened a nearby drawer, where all the letters he’d left his classmates had been stashed away, and handed him one. “This might help you understand more…”

Rody happily took the letter, but hesitantly began reading, worried about what he might come to find within the words his friend wrote.

“I don’t think I should be keeping a secret from the people I care about. So I’m leaving this letter. My Quirk is a power that All Might passed down to me…”

Rody’s eyes continued to scan the words in the letter, completely stunned by what he was discovering. It was all almost too unbelievable. Passing on a Quirk…?

More importantly, Izuku had revealed that he was leaving to go after The League, and all the other villains responsible for the recent attacks. Rody knew this meant having to put himself in danger, as the only way he’d be able to find him is if he went looking where the villains might be.

“Well… you guys are gonna bring him back, right?” Rody asked, after reading the letter in full. Not giving anyone the chance to reply, he continued. “Let me help.”

“Not a chance,” Bakugo snarled. “You’d just get in the way.”

“Did you forget I almost single-handedly stopped a worldwide explosion?” Rody threw back with a sense of anger and cockiness in his tone.

“We wouldn’t have found the damn headquarters in the first place if it wasn’t for me, you moron!” Bakugo argued back. 

“I can help,” Rody protested, not backing down.

“You obviously don’t know the first thing about that damn nerd. If he’s out there by himself, it means he’s doing something dangerous and doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. A useless extra like you would just end up getting killed.”

Bakugo’s words hit Rody like a punch to the gut. Deep down, he knew it was true, but he’d be willing to put himself in danger for his friend if that meant bringing him home safely. It’s what Izuku would do if the roles were reversed, after all… 

“I may not be a hero in training like you guys… but I’m still gonna do what I can to save my friend. Deku says that’s what makes a true hero, and I’m not interested in listening to anyone else.”

“Would you shut up and let me talk?!” Bakugo yelled out. “I’ve got an idea.”

v.

Before he knew it, Rody was on his own once more, as he continued his desperate search for Izuku. As soon as he left UA, he started darting down random side streets and alleys in an attempt to avoid all the nearby fighting between heroes and the prison escapees. He had no idea where he was going, but he knew he had to keep moving. He had to find any sign of Izuku. His heart pounded in his chest and his breath came in short gasps, but he didn't stop for anything.

There was a sense of dread in the air that Rody could plainly feel. It made his skin crawl and his hair stand on end. Bakugo was right that Rody wouldn’t be able to protect himself if he was faced with a truly dangerous villain, but he refused to come this far to give up. He had to shake that eerie feeling off his shoulders or else he wouldn’t have the nerve to keep going.

As he rounded another corner, he heard the rustling of some metal and other items clanging together. He stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes searched for the sound, coming upon the figure of someone, hovering over a dumpster. Digging.

“Uh.. excuse me?” Rody’s voice broke, dry from all the running and anxiety. “I uh… I’m looking for someone…” He continued, trying to get a better look at the person in front of him.

But the man didn’t respond, he just continued looking in the trash for something. Rody certainly didn’t know what, nor did he want to.

“He’s uh, about this tall,” he said, gesturing with his hand. “Freckles? Messy green hair?”

The man still didn’t respond, so Rody started taking note of the man’s appearance. Or what he could see of it, anyway. He wished he had noticed the man’s orange jumpsuit before deciding to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention.

“Excuse me–” oh fuck…

The man’s body suddenly started to twitch and spasm all over before turning to face the one that just disturbed him. Rody now knew for certain that this strange man was one of the thousands of prison escapees and, no doubt, a dangerous villain.

Silver daggers erupted through the skin of the man’s hands, giving him a new set of deadly fingernails ripe for the attack. Furious from being interrupted in his search, hot drool dripped out of the man’s mouth as he began to snarl and growl at his latest victim.
“No, wait, please! I don’t want any trouble, I’m just looking for my friend!” Rody covered his face in a panic, truly fearing for his life–

But Rody would recognize that flash of green light anywhere.

In the blink of an eye, a plume of smoke suddenly filled the area, and Rody could feel a gust of wind blow furiously past him. As he slowly unclenched his fists and relaxed his body, Rody’s eyes began to adjust to the scene before him.

The prisoner who was just seconds away from slicing Rody to bits was suddenly on the ground, unconscious and tied up.

“What the…?” Rody whispered to himself, amazed at what he just witnessed. It took him a moment to come down from the shock of everything before he realized who it was that was now standing before him. The one he’d been looking for all this time.

“Are you hurt?” Izuku asked, his gaze still fixated on the villain before him, to ensure he wasn’t going to go anywhere. He didn’t realize it was Rody he’d just saved until after the 6th’s smokescreen fully dissipated.

“Deku? Is that… you ?” Rody could hardly recognize him. The frame, the costume, it all felt like Izuku, but something just wasn’t right. There was a darkness surrounding him that somehow made Rody feel completely hollow inside. It made him physically shudder.

“Rody…?” There was a hint of excitement in his voice when he realized, but only for a moment. “What are you doing here?” His tone grew sour once more, as he turned away from him, remembering his current goal.

“Isn’t it obvious? What happened was all over the news. And you didn’t answer any of my messages, so I came to check on you,” Rody coolly responded, with a confidence that sounded very believable, though the nervous trembling of Pino’s feathers would’ve certainly given him away if Izuku would ever turn to face him. 

Izuku’s silence was all it took for Rody to drop his casual facade. “I was really worried about you, you know,” Rody said, earnestly. “I thought something terrible might’ve happened to you–”

“I’m fine,” Izuku replied bluntly. “You should go back to Otheon. To Roro and Lala. It isn’t safe for you here.”

“Oh, screw that! I didn’t go through hell and back to find you just for you to tell me I should go running home with my tail between my legs! Do you have any idea what it took for me to get here? And besides, now that I know what’s really going on, you need to go back to UA.”

“I can’t,” Izuku said, gritting his teeth.

“Like hell you can’t!” Rody pushed, stomping toward Izuku and grabbing his shoulder, forcing him to face him. “Look at you! You’re exhausted. You can barely even stand. Just what have you been doing out here by yourself all this time?” Once again, Izuku didn’t respond. And though he’s facing Rody, he couldn’t bear to look him in the eyes. “When they told me you’d left UA, I didn’t know if I could believe it… That’s not the hero I know–”

“You don’t understand!” Izuku yelled, cutting him off and turning around once more. It was imperative that Izuku kept to himself in order to keep everyone safe, but he also could tell Rody had no intention of backing down.

“I don’t care!” Rody yelled back, frustrated that even though he’d found him, he still couldn’t think of a way to bring him home and make sure he wasn’t in danger. “I’m trying to save you for once! I need you to be okay, damn it!” Tears began welling in Rody’s eyes, though he tried hard to fight them.

“I’m sorry, Rody…” Izuku said, his voice now softer. Tender. “But I can’t go back yet.”

“This isn’t you!” Rody bellowed as Izuku started to walk away from him now. “Where’s the hero who said he was going to save everyone with a smile?!” He reached his hand out to stop him, nearly grasping at the back of his mask, but he narrowly missed and fell to the ground instead. Luckily, Pino swooped in, yanking the mask off Izuku’s head, stopping him from continuing on. As Izuku turned to retrieve his fallen mask, he accidentally revealed to Rody that he’d been crying underneath it all this time.

“Oh, Deku…”

Izuku hastily pulled his mask back on—a poor attempt to hide his emotions from Rody. “I can’t stop,” he repeated himself. “The villains will never surrender, so neither can I.”

Rody almost couldn’t think of a response. He stood up and walked over to Izuku, putting on his bravest smile, and gingerly took Izuku’s mask off again, to see his real expression underneath.

“ ’If we work together, we can save everyone’,” Rody quoted, holding his hand out to Izuku. “That’s something you said, remember? I may not have a strong or flashy quirk like you, but your friends do. They can help you stop those villains. Let the people who care about you help you. You can’t do this alone, Deku.”

Izuku is silent for a moment, hearing the words his friend had spoken. He was touched that someone cared so much for him. That all of his friends did.

“I guess I wouldn’t be a very good hero if I couldn’t ease the fears of others, huh…?” Izuku finally admitted, realizing just how flawed he still is. He looked to Rody, trying his best to offer a smile, and reached out to take Rody’s hand in his.

“A reckless rampage born of anxiety and impatience,” an unfamiliar voice suddenly calls out. “You take on the world to the point of exhaustion and ruin. Yes, indeed… you are just as he described.”

“What the–?” Rody panicked, seeing a villain surrounded by a crowd of civilians.

“It’s Dictator,” Izuku explained, holding his arm out in front of Rody now. “An escapee from Tartarus. Another hired gun after me.”

“Okay, well then let’s get out of here quick!” Rody whispered.

“No, Rody, go! Get back to UA!”

“What?! Not a chance!” To an outsider, Rody seemed assured, but deep down he was plenty scared.

“He might know where All For One is,” Deku said, stancing up.

“I don’t care, I’m not leaving you alone, Deku!”

“Spoiling for a fight, are you?” Dictator cackled. “Very well! A fight you shall have!”

Before Rody could protest anymore, Izuku had already pushed him out of the way, as the crowd of civilians began helplessly attacking. Rody jumps back up to try and help Deku, but before he knew it, he was already surrounded by civilians, unable to fight back against them from exhaustion.

“Noo, Deku!!” Rody began running toward the crowd to try and help, when suddenly an explosion went off.

“AP SHOT!” Rody and Izuku both recognized that voice from anywhere. It was Bakugo, just as they had planned.

“Way to make yourself useful, trenchcoat!” When Rody turned to face the direction of the voice, he found himself met with Bakugo and the rest of class A. “Guys, he’s here!”

Finally, they could bring Izuku home. Finally, he could surrender.