Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Izuku glanced down at the street below from where he was sitting on the rooftop, all he could think was: Damn, that's a long way down.

He swung his legs back and forth, leaning back on his hands as he stared into the dark expanse of the sky. The burn on his shoulder was irritating his skin, thanks to Kacchan. Bakugou. Whatever. It would definitely hinder his route tonight, but he's fought through worse.

As he was about to contemplate his next move, he heard the quietest shuffle from behind him. He almost wouldn't have noticed it, but he had lots of practice.

Izuku quickly rolled to the side, ignoring the sharp pain that sent tingles down his whole left side. The capture weapon sailed past him, just barely missing. Izuku sprang up with more energy than he thought he could manage.

"Eraser! Fancy seeing you here."

Eraserhead grunted, bringing his capture scarf back into his hand. He only seemed mildly annoyed, which was better than fully annoyed.

"Why must you insist on always sitting so close to the edge? I'm developing grey hairs because of you," the hero grumbled, the lower half of his face tucked into his scarf.

Izuku shrugged, placing his hands on his hips. "For fun."

"For fun," Eraserhead repeated in a deadpan tone.

"It's a bit of a gamble. Will I fall off, will I not? This time, I didn't!"

"This time?"

"Oh, would you look at the time," Izuku said, holding up his right wrist to look at a fake watch. "Gotta go!"

Izuku spared no time rushing off the side of the roof, not missing the muttered Brat that came from behind him. He caught onto an emergency escape ladder that he knew was there, sliding down, and jumping off from about four feet to the ground.

Izuku had done this about a million times, but he knew it would still give Eraserhead a minor heart attack.

Once out of sight—he knew the underground hero wouldn't bother chasing him—he crouched behind a dumpster, letting his face scrunch into pain. The burn cream was not working. Truly, how would it? The burn was in such an inconvenient spot that he knew he didn't cover the whole wound. The sludge he was still coughing up probably didn't help, either.

Taking a few deep breaths, he stood up straight and did what he did best: ignore it.

He ran into Eraserhead only once more that night, and it somehow turned into a lecture.

Izuku was fighting off some random thug who thought harassing a woman was cool, and luckily, the guy was distracted enough for her to run away. Not luckily, he got a few good hits on Izuku, which is where Eraserhead came in.

The hero must have been watching. For once, he was relieved by the intervention. He sagged against the brick wall of a building, catching his breath and willing the shooting pains to stop.

It was like taking candy from a baby for him. The man was knocked out after a total of three seconds of fighting (well, trying to fight), Eraserhead, hands zip-tied behind his back. Izuku was sure the police would be here any moment.

"You were slow," Eraserhead said, his voice piercing the quiet. "Sloppy. What have I told you about fighting while injured?"

Izuku rolled his eyes, pushing off the wall. Of course, he noticed. "That I shouldn't do it? Something like that," he responded, feigning confusion.

That got a glare from the hero. Izuku smiled, and even though he was wearing a mask, he was sure the crinkling around his eyes gave away the expression.

The worst part was that he was right. He was slow and sloppy. This guy should've been a piece of cake to take down. He was drunk, but he hit hard. Izuku didn't know when to quit.

"You'll get yourself killed," Eraser continued. Izuku scoffed. You have no idea.

Sirens sounded from a few blocks away. That was his cue!

"Alrighty, 'Raser. See ya later?" Izuku quipped, already on his way out.

"This conversation isn't over," Eraserhead remarked at his back.

Izuku waved goodbye, not bothering to respond.

The way back to the apartment wasn't the hardest trek, but it could've been better. The climb up to his window was even worse.

Trying his hardest not to make a sound so he didn't wake up his mom, he maneuvered himself into his room as quietly as possible. After closing the window, he took off his sweatshirt, hissing through his teeth when he stretched his shoulder.

Turning his back and looking over his shoulder to see his wound in the mirror, he grimaced. It seemed to be a second- or third-degree burn. The worst Bakugou had ever given him.

Izuku sighed and threw his sweatshirt into his closet, and took his mask off as well. He rubbed his jaw where the guy had managed to hit him. He would have to ice that later.

Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was nearing three a.m. School was going to suck tomorrow.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Izuku put his head in his hands. The exhaustion, mental and physical, weighed on him heavily. The memories from the day were hitting him now, and he could feel a panic attack coming.

Bakugou burning him, burning his notebook, telling him to jump off the roof, getting caught by a sludge villain, almost dying, meeting All Might…

Shit. How was it that he met All Might today? In his weak form, too. It felt like it happened weeks ago, not just mere hours. If he had told his four-year-old self that he met his idol and subsequently hated him, he'd probably look at older Izuku like he grew a second head.

Okay, maybe hate was a strong word. But telling Izuku his dream was useless because of his quirklessness didn't really boost morale.

The question was disingenuous anyway. Izuku had long given up on his dream to go to UA. He had a whole new plan that he was adhering to now.

Izuku promptly ignored the voice in his head that told him if All Might had just said anything else, if one person could have believed in him…

He shook his head and changed into pyjamas. There was no use dwelling on it now.

When he turned the news on later that day, he was appalled to see that same sludge villain attacking Bakugou. That was his fault, he remembered thinking. Thankfully, though, before his fr— ex-friend could be swallowed by the villain, All Might saved the day. As always.

He had turned the TV off with a sick feeling in his stomach.

Izuku woke up at sunrise. He usually got up around this time, mostly because he didn't want to run into his mom. She could be pretty cruel in the mornings, and he was already in pain. Plus, it helped him get to school early to avoid the bullies.

School was shitty as always. Surprisingly, though, not much attention from Bakugou. Whether it was because of the sludge villain fight from the night before or from sudden generosity, he was grateful.

Unfortunately, his burn wasn't getting any better. Much worse, actually! He didn't think he was getting infected, but he couldn't treat this himself. His mom was a nurse; he could ask her. If she would actually help him, though, was another thing entirely.

Izuku busied himself with homework and cooking dinner. He made enough for the two of them, but he only ate a small portion. He wasn't that hungry.

When he finished eating, the door opened, and his mom came through with a tired expression. Well, it was now or never…

"Hey, Mom. How was work?" Izuku asked timidly, wringing his hands when she didn't answer. She usually didn't.

He did have her dinner ready for her, though, which he hoped would lighten her mood. It didn't.

The silence was awkward. Well, it was for him, anyway. He stood at the end of the table, fidgeting. It must have annoyed her enough, because she sighed loudly. "What, Izuku?"

"U-Um… So… can you look at my in-injury for me? I think it's a third-degree—" he was cut off.

"Izuku, I just got home from a twelve-hour shift. Whatever it is, I'm sure you're fine."

Usually, after a dismissal like that, he would give up. But it really hurt. "Please… could you look at it? You don't even have to treat it! I can—"

"Enough!" she exclaimed, slamming her chopsticks on the table. "I said no. Deal with it yourself. It's probably not even that bad; you're too sensitive. You're going to have to toughen up if you're going to live with your— you know. Your condition."

Your condition. It was probably the closest she had gotten in years to acknowledging it directly.

"O-Okay. Sorry, Mom, you're right," he whispered, but she was already walking out of the dining room. Izuku cleaned up after her and rushed to his room, closing the door quietly.

She was probably right. He was overreacting! It wasn't that bad. He would put more burn cream on it and hope for the best.

He did so, and he finished any other schoolwork before midnight hit. Once he was sure his mom was asleep, he put on his "vigilante suit", which really only consisted of an all-black outfit and mask that covered the lower half of his face.

He covered his hair with the hood of his sweatshirt, pulling on the strings to tighten it a bit so it wouldn't fall off his head.

Izuku stretched, careful not to injure himself further, and then he was off.

This patrol was more difficult than the last. He was slipping by the third criminal he apprehended. He needed a short break. Weirdly, he hadn't run into Eraserhead yet.

Chilling on the rooftop of a shorter building, he stayed in the shadows so he could avoid Eraserhead or any other villains that came by this way.

"Why are you still out here?"

Izuku let out a totally manly scream at the sudden voice that came from his left. Scrambling to a stand, he winced and held his hands out in a defensive position. Then, he realized it was Eraserhead.

He groaned and relaxed his posture. "Seriously, what the hell? Do you get off on sneaking up on people?"

Eraserhead, the bastard, shrugged. "It's kind of in the job description. Now stop deflecting and answer the question."

Izuku brought a hand to his chin and pretended to think about it. "Well, it all started probably a year ago, when I decided to use my charming personality and good morals to stop some random dudes from hurting civilians—"

"Shadow."

Izuku cringed at the stupid ass "vigilante name" that the police gave him. They theorized that his quirk had something to do with shadows, hence the name, and it couldn't be more unoriginal.

It also didn't escape him that he had been yelled at by two different adults in one night.

"If you want a specific answer, ask a more specific question," Izuku shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.

Eraserhead let out a long-suffering sigh, and Izuku internally flinched. He couldn't help but feel irrationally hurt at how annoyed the hero was because of him. He really made everyone around him miserable.

"Shadow, you're obviously hurt. This isn't a game. If you are going to be out here, you need to look after yourself."

Why the hell would he do that? Living on the edge was way more fun.

Obviously, he didn't say this aloud because it would only anger Eraserhead more.

"I'm handling it," he said, as he was definitely not handling it. This didn't fool the underground hero either.

Eraserhead clicked his tongue and stepped forward, making Izuku tense. "You're done for the night."

Izuku bristled, taking a defensive stance again and stepping back. "Says who?"

"Says me. The licensed professional." Eraserhead stayed where he was this time, softening infinitesimally when he realized Izuku looked ready to bolt. "I'm not going against our agreement. But I'm also not letting a kid die on my watch because he's too reckless to take care of himself."

Instantly, Izuku wanted to snap back with a dark joke about how he was dying anyway, no matter what, but that probably wasn't a good idea. He understood where he was coming from, unfortunately, but what was he supposed to do? Izuku couldn't afford a hospital visit, and he did not want to involve his mom after what happened.

When the silence stretched, Eraserhead spoke up again. "Do you have someone to help you?"

Izuku sucked in a sharp breath at the question. No, he really didn't. He guessed his non-answer was answer enough.

"I could—"

Izuku interrupted him immediately, "No." He was not going to do this with Eraserhead. He didn't want his pity. He didn't want to owe him anything.

He could tell his answer disappointed him. "Shadow, be logical about this. Whatever your injury is, it's clearly serious. You've been favouring your right side lately, when you are usually ambidextrous in your attacks. You flinch whenever you pull on your left shoulder. It's affecting your performance. Just let me help you."

Izuku wasn't surprised by Eraserhead's overly analytical observation of him. The guy was a hero for a reason. He was mostly blaming himself for being so careless and open about it.

However, he did stop to think about it. He needed this burn to be treated, and he just couldn't do that himself. It was stopping him from being 100% on his patrols, which, yeah, didn't exactly concern him that well, but if he couldn't save people, what was the point?

Izuku pondered for a long while, and he was shocked that Eraserhead was patient enough to wait for his answer. Eventually, he said, "Fine. But no hospitals."

Eraserhead probably expected that because he didn't protest right away. He only sighed for the thousandth time. "Not ideal, but alright. I know someone who can help you. But you need to follow me."

Izuku was relieved that he didn't push on the hospital part too much. He easily agreed to follow.

Eraserhead was ahead of him, and he often looked back to make sure Izuku was following. Rude. Could there be a little more trust here?

After what seemed like forever, they ended up at a relatively nice-looking house. They weren't in the red light district anymore.

The hero knocked on the door and waited. And waited. And— oh, the door was opening.

An old woman in sleeping robes stood in the doorway. She looked quite angry to be woken up at this hour, and Izuku didn't blame her. Who the hell was this? Eraserhead's grandma? They sure shared the same glare.

"Sh— Eraserhead. What the hell are you doing on my doorstep at," she paused to check the time, "almost two in the morning? And who's your friend?"

Izuku perked up with a response, but Eraser quickly interrupted him before he could get a word out. "I'm sorry for this, Recovery Girl, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't an emergency. I need you to heal him."

Recovery Girl?! Oh, yeah, Izuku was internally freaking the fuck out right now. Not only was she one of the best heroines out there, but her quirk literally drained you of your energy until you passed out. And Izuku was not passing out in front of two heroes.

Izuku backed away. "Uh, yeah, this was a mistake. Forget I was ever here, actually!"

Before he could even think about taking another step, a familiar scarf wrapped around his torso, keeping him in place. "He's severely injured; his identity doesn't matter. Will you help him or not?"

Izuku huffed and sagged into the capture weapon. So this is how it will be.

Recovery Girl's eyes roamed over Izuku, her stare making him shudder. Yeah, he wanted to correct his previous statement. Their glares weren't the same; Recovery Girl's was much worse.

Regardless of her intimidating demeanour, she stepped aside to let them in. "You owe me for this," she said, and Izuku tensed, thinking she meant him. But Eraserhead nodded.

"I know."

Eraserhead dragged him in, much to Izuku's chagrin. He didn't let go until they made it to what looked like Recovery Girl's living room, where he was dumped onto the couch. She turned on one of the lamps.

"What are we dealing with here, dearie?" Recovery Girl asked him, and Izuku instinctively looked at Eraserhead. For what, approval? He wasn't sure.

Eraser nodded his head at him, and Izuku sighed. "A burn. On my left shoulder."

"Alright, that doesn't sound too bad. Can you take your sweater off for me?" she said, coming closer so she could inspect the wound.

Izuku scooched back and narrowed his eyes at her. "No way."

Recovery Girl didn't seem deterred, though. "Do you want privacy?"

From… Eraserhead? Izuku glanced at him, but the hero was unreadable. Yeah, that'd probably help a lot, actually. He wouldn't be able to sense his judging gaze.

"Yes, please," Izuku muttered, not looking at them for their reaction. Nothing was said when Eraserhead's footsteps receded into another room. He could breathe a little easier.

"I won't take off your mask, dear, but that sweater needs to come off," Recovery Girl broke the silence, her tone neutral.

Izuku took a deep breath before he obliged. He made sure his mask was still in place before taking it off completely. His eyes were still on the floor, not wanting to see her reaction either.

He knew he had several scars on his body from over the years. Old and new, but nothing as severe as the burn on his shoulder. Without being asked to, Izuku turned so that the heroine could have a look at it. She gasped.

"How are you still standing?" she demanded.

Izuku shrugged. "Pure spite and adrenaline," he joked, but she didn't laugh.

"Do you know how my quirk works?" she asked instead. Izuku nodded.

"Alright. We may have to do this in phases. We'll see how this goes," she said and, without warning, pressed her lips to an unburnt part of his shoulder. He immediately passed out.

When he regained consciousness, he was lying on the couch on his stomach, a blanket draped over him. Miraculously, he didn't feel any pain upon waking up. He did hear murmurs coming from another room, but he couldn't make them out.

Izuku pushed himself up onto his elbows, testing his body. He felt relatively fine still, but he knew his burn wasn't completely healed. Maybe that was what she meant by the "phases".

He sat up fully, keeping the blanket around his shoulders. "Do I really need any more? I feel great!"

The murmuring paused, followed by shuffling footsteps approaching the living room. "Yes, dear, you do. Do you downplay your injuries this often?"

Izuku shrugged. "Maybe."

Recovery Girl shook her head. "Okay. One more time," was her warning before she used her quirk again, and Izuku passed out once more.

He felt a lot more energized the second time he woke up. From the looks of the windows by the door, it was still dark. Good. He still had time to get home without waking his mom. Thank god it was Friday.

Izuku stood up and quickly shrugged on his sweatshirt. He turned his head, trying to find Recovery Girl. He found Eraserhead instead. Oh shit. He was still here?

"Hey. Am I free to go or…" Izuku trailed off, and Eraserhead turned to face him. He stood up and walked over, but stopped a good distance away.

"She said you were fine for now, but to keep an eye on it over the next few days. I still think you should stay home and rest this weekend."

Izuku hummed noncommittally. "We'll see."

Eraserhead sighed. "I figured. It's way past my patrol time, so I need to get going. Do you need me to walk you home?"

"I'm not a child, Eraser. I can walk myself home. Have been every night."

"You quite literally are a child, but thought I'd offer anyway. Don't drop dead on the way back, then."

Izuku beamed. "No promises!" he exclaimed before taking his exit. He was further from home, but he went the longer way anyway in case someone—a certain underground hero—decided to follow. He didn't feel his presence, but you could never be too sure.

He did wish he could've thanked Recovery Girl, though. She didn't have to waste his quirk on someone like him, but she did it anyway and asked for nothing in return. Neither did Eraserhead. It made him uneasy; he wasn't used to this.

Regardless, he felt amazing! Seriously, he hadn't been this pain-free in a long ass time. He was sure Recovery Girl's quirk somehow healed other scars that were bothering him but didn't care to look after. If he ever saw her again, he would get her a gift or something.

Izuku had the best sleep of his life when he got home.

On the weekends, his mom was home during the day unless she was called in. So, Izuku spent his time away from the apartment and at a small cafe a few blocks down. It was run by a kind old lady who gave him free pastries no matter how much he insisted he pay.

The little money he had came from a monthly "allowance" from his mom. He supposed it was her way of parenting, and while it came in handy—especially since he had been saving for a long time—he missed how his mom used to be.

Bringing his backpack so he could work on homework, he made his way to the cafe. It was a bit early for the lunch rush hour, but also late for the morning rush. It was the perfect in-between time to get there.

There were only two other people sitting inside, and one person in line. Izuku stood nervously in line. He could fight villains and criminals easily, but conversing with someone his age? Terrifying.

The barista behind the register today was a teenager, around his age or older, with wild purple hair and eye bags that rivalled his and Eraserhead's. He just looked perpetually tired. His name tag read "Shinsou". Izuku had seen him working here before, but their interactions only went as far as him ordering and Shinsou calling out his name to get said order.

Once it was his turn, Izuku stepped up to the counter. "Good morning, what can I get for you today?" Shinsou asked, his voice monotone.

Izuku shyly smiled before ordering. "U-Um, can I please get an iced vanilla latte, and, um, a blueberry muffin please?" Nailed it.

Shinsou put it into the register, not even looking up as he said, "Anything else?"

"Ah, no, that's all."

"Alright, here's your total," Shinsou rattled off the number, and Izuku gave him cash.

"Thanks. Your order will be ready soon." And he promptly walked off to the coffee machine.

Izuku nodded to himself and walked over to the pick-up area, waiting patiently. It didn't take long, Shinsou didn't even have to call out his name. He just slid over his drink and a small container for his muffin.

"Enjoy," Shinsou remarked before going to the backroom. Izuku didn't have time to say thank you, so he went to sit in a far corner.

The latte was delicious, as always, and his muffin was great. He took small bites because this was most likely his lunch and dinner.

For the next few hours, he spent his time on schoolwork. It honestly didn't take long. He had gotten into the rhythm of answering only partially correct, so he wasn't accused of cheating, just enough to pass his teacher's suspicion.

The majority of his time was spent on hero analysis. Now, even though his encounter with All Might had pretty much made him do a 180 on his perception of heroes, he still loved analyzing quirks.

He didn't have quite the budget to buy a whole new notebook, so he was writing in the damaged one courtesy of Bakugou. Some pages were salvaged, and Izuku could write small if he really tried.

He was so lost in this that he didn't realize what time it was. The cafe was closing soon. The only reason he knew this was because the sweet old woman he mentioned earlier had visited his table.

"Darling, have you been here all day again?" her voice came from above him. Startled, he looked up at her.

"A-Ah, Kimura-san, of course not!" he said with a nervous laugh.

"Please, call me Hana. No need for such formalities." She always insisted, but Izuku still felt weird about using her given name.

"I'm so sorry for staying so late… I'll pack up right away!" Izuku rushed to pack his things, but Kimura shook her head.

"You're alright. Technically, we don't close for another fifteen minutes. Take your time," she said kindly, sliding him a wrapped danish.

Before he could even try to pay her for it, she was walking away. Izuku sighed, but packed the pastry with a muttered Thanks.

Izuku left, taking his time getting home. He was fortunate not to run into anyone he knew today. While the cafe wasn't frequented by his classmates, well, as far as he knew, he still felt anxious walking home alone.

When he walked up to his apartment, he could tell something was wrong before he even walked through the door. Fumbling with his keys, he cautiously opened the door. He almost expected his mom to be standing there, waiting to berate him for something.

However, it was empty.

Almost literally. Most of the personalized decor had been taken down, his mom's shoes and coat gone, and whatever pictures of their family that stayed out were also gone.

His heart in his stomach, Izuku stepped into the room. "Mom?" he called out hesitantly, as if she would materialize out of thin air. But he knew.

There was a note on the kitchen counter. With shaky hands, he picked it up.

The note read:

I'm sorry, but I can't take it anymore. I can't live like this. I got an apartment closer to where I work, but don't come looking for me. There are two months of rent paid ahead, and that is all I can afford to pay for you, plus the money I left with this note. You are not my responsibility anymore.

Ha ha, funny, the words were blurry at the end there!

He couldn't read the rest. Izuku put the note down, letting his tears stain the pages.

Well, shit. He did not expect that.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke up to the sound of buzzing. Groggily opening his eyes, he blinked as he remembered where he was. His room came into focus, as did a lot of other things. His empty stomach, his aching limbs, and a major headache. 

He glanced to the alarm clock on his nightstand where it read 19:27.

Right, something buzzed. His phone? Izuku leaned over the side of his bed to grab his bag, rummaging through until he found his phone. He pulled it out, but when he turned it on, there were no new notifications. 

Oh, it was probably from his burner. Searching his bag again, he pulled out the small flip phone he kept on him. It was what he used for his vigilante work, but really, it was used to pester Eraserhead and Detective Tsukauchi. 

There were eight new messages. Mostly from Eraserhead. But one from Tsukauchi? What day was it?

He checked the date. Oh. It was Monday. Had he really slept for two days?

The messages from Eraserhead started from Saturday night:

You actually took my advice and stayed home? Should I celebrate?

Izuku rolled his eyes and kept checking them. Mostly concerned about his well-being and why he wasn't patrolling. 

The most recent one from the hero was about two hours ago:

Seriously, if you're dead in a ditch somewhere I will kill you.

So dramatic. He typed out a response:

awww u missed me! ^^ how sweet. im fine, no need to worry :3

Just as he was about to switch to Tsukauchi's chat, Eraserhead had already sent another message. Clingy much?

Hardly. Next time answer the first time.

will do!

Izuku sighed and went to Tsukauchi's chat finally. Just one message that read:

Kid, you alive?

Did this mean Eraserhead went to Tsukauchi about him? Or did he just get significantly less reports about a rogue vigilante roaming the streets? Yeah, probably the latter. 

alive n kickin! dont throw a party just yet

He didn't respond right away, probably because he had a job. And a life. 

Izuku put the phone away, but he didn't get up. What was rotting in bed for a few more hours anyway?

Unfortunately, he did have bodily needs. After great reluctance, he pushed himself out of bed. He was immediately dizzy and he had to balance himself against the wall. Once the dark spots faded from his vision, he went to the bathroom. 

Seeing his mom's things gone brought back his painful reality. She left him. It changed a lot of things. 

Well, killing himself would technically be easier. His mom wouldn't have to clean up the mess or go through the process of pretending to care about her dead son. Now, he could be left in obscurity until the landlord realized no one lived there anymore. 

But did he want to involve random people? Probably not. He could just… disappear, then kill himself. Not like anyone would go looking for him. Sure, Eraserhead may text him a few times, but he'd get over it. Probably feel relief that he didn't have to look after him all the time. 

This could fast track his way to death. He wouldn't have to wait for it to come to him. However, Izuku was nothing if not a coward. He did try killing himself already. Twice. He couldn't do it. 

The first time was after Bakugou told him to jump off a roof. When the bullies left, he made his way to the school rooftop and stared down at the street below him. Really, it could've been that easy. 

Then he hesitated, and his impulse wavered. It was also broad daylight. He didn't want to traumatize others.

The second time was when All Might left him on the roof after crushing his spirit. He felt he had nothing left to live for in that moment, so he stepped onto the ledge. However, the same reason as before stopped him. He didn't want to accidentally fall in front of someone. 

Plus, what if he miscalculated the fall, and only ended up breaking a few bones instead of dead? How embarrassing. 

That's when he realized he may have to rely heavily on pure chance. Fighting villains was no safe task. Just one wrong hit, and he could get what he wanted. 

If he miraculously stayed alive by next year, though, he would have to do it. This was his way of delaying the inevitable if only to give himself the courage to end his life. 

And of course, the very, very small hope of things actually getting better. Because who didn't want that? Hope, a paradoxically strong yet fickle thing. 

But this wasn't making things any easier. He repulsed his own mom so much so that she left. That was surely one way to bring down someone's self-esteem, am I right?

Izuku trudged into the kitchen after freshening up. He had ingredients for ramen, so he managed to make that. He ate, scrolled through the news feed on his phone, and wondered if he felt up to patrolling tonight. Maybe terrorizing Eraserhead would distract him enough to not think of what happened two days ago. 

Making his decision, Izuku stood up, stretched his arms, and put away his dishes. He still had a few hours until he technically went out, so he could relax for now. Though where was the fun in that?

He also didn't think he could stay too long in this apartment, either, so he decided to go to Dagobah Beach for a few hours instead. 

Izuku had decided last year to start cleaning up the trash that was left on the beach. It was something to do, and it definitely helped him build some muscle and endurance. Plus, he found some pretty useful things in there sometimes. 

He wore his vigilante outfit, not because he thought he'd be recognized down here, but because the mask would protect him from some of the stench that still wafted throughout the beach. 

Spending a few hours cleaning and training, he checked the time on his burner. Almost midnight. Perfect!

Izuku made his way through the city, keeping to the shadows and alleyways. He wished he had a capture weapon like Eraserhead's to swing himself from rooftop to rooftop. It would make things so much easier. 

Thinking if he could possibly make is own capture weapon, he climbed onto the building he always started his patrol at. It was a good spot to get a substantial view of everything.

Usually, Eraserhead would also come around, knowing Izuku was here. Ever since their agreement, he forced himself not to worry about being caught. So he sat on the ledge, of course, waiting. 

It only took him a few minutes. "Long time no see!" Izuku called out, notifying the hero that he knew he was there. Eraserhead didn't say anything, nor did he comment about him being close to the edge this time. 

When Eraserhead still didn't speak, Izuku glanced at him over his shoulder, confused. "Cat got your tongue or something?" Izuku said, then shut his mouth. Oh, he looked mad. 

Izuku frowned and stood away from the ledge. What was he so upset about?

After a few minutes of a staring contest between them (which Izuku won, by the way), Eraserhead spoke, his voice gruff. "I thought I told you to message me if you didn't plan on going out, Shadow. That was two full nights of radio silence."

Yeah, not exactly his fault. But what could he really say? Well, Eraserhead, I didn't answer because my mom left me so now I'm living on my own for two months until I figure out some way to get money to rent the apartment, and I passed out for two days because of pure stress and depression.

Maybe not. 

Izuku shrugged, forcing casualness. "I was busy. I have a life, you know. I don't make a living off frolicking through the night and occasionally taking down criminals. I have hobbies."

Eraserhead gave him a deadpan stare. "Well, next time, make room in your busy schedule to send a text or two."

He saluted him with two fingers. "Yes sir!"

The hero rolled his eyes, but his shoulders were slightly less tense. What a softy.

"And just because Recovery Girl healed you, doesn't mean you can be reckless. We're trying to not get you to that point again, understand?" Eraserhead continued.

Izuku rolled his shoulders back. "Yeah, yeah. Are you done?" 

As he was leaving, the capture weapon squeezed around his stomach and he was brought closer to Eraserhead. Izuku tensed. "Whoa, what's that for?" 

"Do you understand?" Eraser repeated, voice hard. 

"I understand!" Izuku exclaimed, struggling against the scarf. Eventually, Eraserhead let him go. Izuku took several steps back, trying to hide his anxiousness. 

"Was that really necessary?" Izuku grumbled, but the hero didn't answer him. Typical. 

His night went on as normal, and thankfully, it took his mind off of his mom for at least the few hours he was out there. It reminded him of why he pursued this route for himself in the first place. 

Saving people, feeling like he was making some kind of difference, even if it was small, made it worth it. Almost like he was leaving his mark before he died. 

Eraserhead and Tsukauchi can think he was doing this for whatever reason; because he was reckless, impulsive, a rebellious teenager. It didn't matter. As long as he wasn't being arrested, he was fine with it. 

And, well, most importantly, they couldn't find out he was quirkless. Then it was over. 

He carried these sombre thoughts on the way back to the apartment. At least now that he didn't have to worry about waking his mom, he could walk in through the front door. There was a bright side to this after all!

Even though he hadn't thought about the apartment since leaving, his mind was racing now. How was he going to stay here? Should he stay here? Find somewhere cheaper? He didn't need all this space. 

Maybe he could do some apartment searching elsewhere. However, the most important step was finding a way to obtain a steady income. A job was his best bet. But to be able to afford a whole apartment, he would need to work all day… 

Honestly, Izuku wasn't opposed to quitting school altogether. Despite his "official" transcript, that most likely said he was just above failing, Izuku knew he was smart enough to go on without it. Or was that too cocky of him to say?

It's not like he'd be missing anything. No more bullying, being told he was useless, classmates telling him to kill himself? How tragic. 

The next obstacle was having to find someone who would hire him for a full-time position without too much suspicion. He could always ask Kimura. She seemed kind enough to help him, but he couldn't rely on that. 

Izuku groaned as he flopped onto the couch. He didn't even have the energy to walk to his room. He stared at the ceiling, sleep escaping him despite his exhaustion. 

He ended up falling asleep around six a.m., and he slept in quite late. Guess he was skipping school today too.

That was fine, he could jump start his job search. 

Izuku forced himself up in the morning and into more appropriate clothes (a long sleeved tee and black pants). He brought his phone and keys with him, and slipped into his shoes. It was the ones he also used on his patrols. 

The red shoes—the only brand that supported the extra toe joint in quirkless people—were almost always a dead giveaway to his quirk status. Most of the Japanese population recognized them. So, he bought another pair. He went a size higher so that the shoe didn't completely crush his toe, but it still ended up being too big near his heel. He learned to get used to them.

Since school was in session right now, he didn't bump into anyone he knew on the way. 

Opening the doors to the cafe, he immediately noticed Kimura behind the counter, along with another woman that looked to be in her early twenties. She was the other employee Izuku occasionally saw work here. 

Kimura looked up, a general greeting on her lips, but then she realized it was him. She broke into a kind smile. "Hi, darling. Why aren't you in school right now?" she asked, her tone slightly scolding at the end. 

Izuku nervously smiled. "U-Um, hi, Kimura-san. C-Can I actually… talk to you about something?" he asked, fidgeting.

She looked confused and mildly concerned, but she nodded. Kimura told her co-worker to take over, and she lead Izuku to a more discreet seating spot.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Izuku took a deep breath. "I was wondering if I could apply to work here. Full-time."

Kimura's eyebrows rose, surprised. "I would understand a part-time job, but full-time?"

He had come up with an answer for this. "My mom is a nurse and a single mother. She has been struggling a lot for the past few months to make ends meet, so I moved to online school to help her around the house. I wanted to work so I could help her with bills and such. Staying on track at school won't be an issue."

Izuku felt horrible lying, especially to Kimura. She had been nothing but sweet to him since they met, and here he was, making up a lie to manipulate her into hiring him. 

Kimura stayed silent for a while, her eyes roaming over Izuku's face. He kept a neutral expression, but he was worried. Did she see through his lie?

Finally, she responded, "I am sorry about your situation, dear, but I cannot offer you a full-time position. Not only is that too much for you to take on, but it is against the law."

Izuku's shoulders sagged, and he was already mentally searching for other businesses he could ask for a job. 

"However," her voice cut through his thoughts, "I can offer you a part-time position if you are interested."

He perked back up. It was a good start, and he knew he wouldn't get this offer so easily somewhere else. "R— Really?"

"Of course, darling. I'm always open to taking more employees. I trust that you are a quick learner and ready to work in a fast-paced environment?"

Izuku nodded enthusiastically. "O-Of course, Kimura-san. And I can start whenever you like."

She smiled. "That's what I like to hear."

After that, Kimura set up a date for training at the end of the week. She asked for an email so she could contact him, which he gladly gave. Izuku left the cafe feeling lighter. 

Even though it was part-time, Izuku wasn't too worried at the moment. With the money he had saved for years and the money his mom gave him, with two months already paid in advance, he would probably (hopefully) have a good chunk of income to use. 

He may have to sacrifice some indulgences (non-essential food and lattes), but he could do it! 

That goal promptly fell flat when he realized he needed to get groceries. The fridge was looking a little empty. With a sigh, he grabbed some money he would need and only that so he wouldn't be tempted to spend more. 

Izuku prepared himself for more social interaction, taking a deep breath before stepping out the door for the second time that day. It was closer to the end of school, which is a little worrying, but Izuku would be vigilant. Ha.

He brought a reusable bag with him so he could easily carry anything he bought. 

The corner store was his first stop, because he could usually get a few things for cheaper. Thankfully it was pretty empty. 

Izuku picked up some instant ramen that he usually got from there, along with a box of protein bars. They usually kept him full throughout the day when he had nothing else. 

After he paid and left the store, he heard a loud meow followed by some voices coming from the alley next to the store. Curious, Izuku walked over to see a group of boys surrounding a small kitten. 

The kitten looked dirty, streaked with dirt and some dried blood. It was whimpering, cornered by the boys against a dumpster. Izuku frowned, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. Seriously, how messed up do you have to be to go after a defenceless kitten?

When one of them stepped towards the cat, Izuku hurried forward. "Hey! Leave it alone," he called out, and all three boys turned to face him. Well, this could either go very well or very wrong. 

The one who stepped forward had navy blue, curly hair, and a glare. "What's it to you?" the boy said, crossing his arms. 

"Uh, the fact that you're hurting an innocent kitten? Are you psychopaths?" 

Maybe antagonizing a group of people who looked stronger than him was not the best idea. 

However, before anything could happen, a voice sounded from behind him: "What's going on here?"

That voice was strangely familiar. He turned to look at whoever interrupted, and Izuku internally cursed. It was Eraserhead. Because of course it was. Why was he all the way over here? Did he live nearby?

Even though the man was in his civilian clothes, the scarf around his neck made it obvious, along with the long black hair. Good thing this guy was an underground hero; he'd be recognized in an instant if he were limelight. 

Before Izuku could explain, the same guy from before scoffed. Apparently, Eraser looked important enough for the boy to treat him as an authority figure. "We were just messing around. He was being aggressive," navy hair accused, pointing at Izuku. 

Eraserhead's eyes slid to him, but only for a moment before his attention focused on the three and the small kitten still cowering. "Right. I'll deal with him then."

The boys looked smug, giving pointed looks to Izuku as they left. Izuku sighed, the tension leaving him, and he placed his bag on the ground near the dumpster. Ignoring Eraserhead, he kneeled down in front of the kitten. 

He stayed a good distance away, trying to be as non-threatening as possible. "Hey, it's okay now," he whispered, holding his hand out in front of him. Fortunately, the cat didn't run away immediately, but instead looked at him, partly curious and partly terrified. 

However, the kitten didn't move forward any more. Just when he thought Eraserhead had left already, his voice cut through the quiet. "Try this," he said, and Izuku whipped his head to look at him, startled.

In his hand was some sort of cat treat. Where the hell did he pull that from?

"Uh, sure," Izuku muttered, reaching a shaky hand to grab it. He turned and offered it to the kitten, whose nose started twitching. Slowly, it inched forward, and Izuku left it just in front of where the kitten was standing. 

The kitten ate it quickly, almost possessively, and when finished, came towards Izuku and nudged its head against his hand. Izuku couldn't help a small smile and petted the kitten softly, careful of the injuries. 

As much as Izuku would love to bring the kitten home with him, he could barely afford to take care of himself with what he had. Paired with his plan and nighttime activities, he couldn't take care of this cat. His smile vanished at the reminder. 

How convenient that there was someone behind him who clearly loved cats. 

Izuku picked up the small kitten carefully and faced Eraserhead who was, now predictably, still there. 

"I can't, um, look after this cat so, here," Izuku said, holding the kitten out to Eraser like an offering. 

Eraserhead stared at him for so long that Izuku thought he had said something completely different and imagined what he wanted to say. Eventually, the hero reached out and gently took the kitten from him. 

The kitten let out a mournful meow when it was taken from Izuku's hands, and he felt like a horrible person. But it was for the best. 

"Are you sure? She seems pretty attached to you already," Eraserhead added. Izuku almost said No and snatched the kitten back, but he knew he couldn't. 

"I'm sure," Izuku said reluctantly, and he went to grab his grocery bag by the dumpster. 

"Not very healthy options you have there."

Confused, he turned to face Eraserhead, who was looking at the bag in his hands. Surprised at his audacity, Izuku became defensive. "Not everyone can afford gourmet meals," he shot back sarcastically without really thinking about it. 

Eraserhead's eyebrows raised in slight shock, not expecting that response, but he didn't say anything. Maybe apologetic. 

Or maybe Izuku imagined it, because Eraserhead's expression was blank, like Izuku didn't say anything at all. 

It was definitely awkward now. He wasn't sure what else to say, and he wanted to go home. "Well… thanks for taking care of her, I guess?" 

Eraserhead didn't verbally reply, but he did nod, so he took that as a goodbye. Izuku quickly got the hell out of there. He was nervous that he would somehow slip up and reveal he was Shadow, but luckily that didn't happen. 

Izuku was planning on going to the actual grocery store for some ingredients to make more filling food, but he was exhausted and done with human interaction for the day. He entered the apartment, kicked off his shoes, and left the bags on the counter. 

He didn't have the energy to put the ramen and bars away, so he went to sleep on the couch, wanting to forget the day and will his depressive thoughts to end. 

The rest of his week went fine. Eraserhead never mentioned to him—as Shadow—about the kitten, so Izuku really had no idea if he ended keeping her or just leaving her at the vet. And Izuku didn't plan on running into him as a civilian anytime soon, because that was too risky. 

He also was skipping school. He couldn't be bothered with going anymore, and he just needed to create a fake note from his mother telling Aldera he would be moving to online school. Not that Aldera would care, probably, but just so nothing legal came about. 

His training day for the cafe came too soon. It was in the afternoon. He showed up early, and to his dismay, he could not find Kimura right away. It was the other woman who he saw when he came in to ask for the job. 

He came up to the counter nervously. The woman smiled kindly and was about to ask for his order, but he interrupted her, stumbling over his words. "I-I am actually here for my, um, training? Kimura-san told me to come here at this time…"

"Oh! Midoriya right? Sorry about that. Let me go get her, it'll just be a minute!" Before Izuku could confirm, she was already walking to the back room. He waited patiently until Kimura emerged. 

"Midoriya, you're early. That's great. Do you want to get started or wait a few minutes?" Kimura said, her tone cheerful. 

"No, that's fine, Kimura-san. I can start now!" 

"Perfect. I will show you the basics, and if you are up to it, you can try cashing out some customers with my guidance. Though, I'll let you know now, I will have to leave in a few hours. One of my employees will be able to assist you."

Izuku nodded. He knew he would have to interact with his now co-workers anyway, but he just hoped it went smoothly. 

Kimura did as she said, showing him how to make coffees, teas, smoothies, and other drinks they offered. The pastries were easy; they were kept fresh and only needed to be heated if a customer asked. 

After that, Kimura went over technical stuff. Since he was new, and young, she told him he didn't have to worry just yet about opening and closing the shop. Another experienced employee would always be there for that, and if not, then she would do it. 

Izuku expected to be tired after being on his feet consecutively for so long, but he thought he was doing fine. 

Eventually, Shinsou came in for his shift. Kimura informed him to guide Izuku through the rest of his training day. Shinsou didn't seem pleased, but not exactly annoyed, so there's that. 

Kimura told them goodbye, and Izuku was now standing by the register with Shinsou. It didn't seem like he was one for small talk, so it was quiet. 

It was a little slow, but Izuku didn't mind it. That meant that people couldn't get mad at him for going slow. At least for today. He dreaded working during the morning rush.

When no customers had been coming in for a while, Shinsou walked over to the coffee machine. "Do you want one?" Shinsou asked, and Izuku was surprised he spoke to him. 

"U-Um, I didn't bring money with me…" he said lamely. Shinsou gave him a deadpan stare before returning to brewing his coffee. 

"Kimura-san lets us have a max of two free drinks per shift, and a couple of pastries. Though she's more lenient on those."

"Oh. Then, sure. Thanks."

"Your usual?" Shinsou asked. Izuku was surprised he actually remembered. He nodded. 

Shinsou handed it to him and he took small sips. He could definitely see himself abusing this two free drink rule. Free coffee? Hell yeah. 

Suddenly, the doors to the cafe swung open, and in came a couple of loud boys. Izuku didn't recognize them, thankfully, but when they came up to the counter, they clearly recognized Shinsou. 

"Yo, look, that freak works here," one of them said, and the other snickered. Izuku frowned, glancing at Shinsou. His eye twitched, but otherwise seemed unbothered. 

"What can I get for you?" Shinsou asked, customer service voice activated. 

The boys were super obnoxious while ordering. They would order something, then change their mind halfway through and ask for something else entirely different. 

After the third time of this happening, Shinsou said, "It seems like you are unsure of what you want to order. Please come back when you're ready."

They didn't seem happy that their attempt at antagonizing Shinsou wasn't working. Izuku had to hold in a laugh at their clear frustration. 

Izuku took care of making their drinks with Shinsou's supervision. Once they were given their orders, and thankfully left without a word, he turned to face the purple-haired boy. 

"Those guys sucked," Izuku commented.

Shinsou shrugged. "You get used to it after a while. Society doesn't treat those with villainous quirks lightly," he said bitterly, but sort of expectantly, like he was intentionally looking for Izuku's response to that information.

Villainous quirks? "I don't think quirks can be inherently villainous… It's your actions that really matter. They're clearly not acting heroic."

Shinsou scoffed. "I'm sure that's easy for you to say. You probably have some flashy, strong quirk or something." 

Izuku's expression shuttered and he turned away. "Right." Something in his tone must have changed, because Shinsou looked at him appraisingly, though he didn't ask further. 

Being reminded of his quirkless status—even if it wasn't intentional—left a sick feeling in his gut. What was better: some random person he would be in consistent close proximity with assuming he had a quirk, a strong one at that, or telling him he was quirkless? He suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore. 

Luckily, he didn't have to for long. His shift was coming to an end. He didn't bring anything with him, just his key, so he said a cordial goodbye to Shinsou. 

What a great start to his first day of employment.

Chapter Text

A loud banging on the door caused Izuku to wake up in a panic and consequently tumble off the couch, hitting the floor with a thud. Who could possibly be at the door right now?!

When he tried to get up, he then hit his head against the coffee table, and he lay back down on the ground with a groan. Maybe if he stayed down here, the person would go away.

To his dismay, the knocking was back, but even louder if that were possible. Izuku sighed and got up, careful to avoid the table, and stood up. He quickly checked the time, noting that it was Saturday morning.

Izuku cautiously walked up to the door, looking out the peephole. It was Mitsuki, Bakugou's mother. He reeled back, eyes wide in shock. Why would she be here?

"Inko! I know you're in there. Open up!" the woman shouted, her voice ringing through the empty apartment. Izuku knew she wouldn't give up; she was just about as stubborn as her kid, if not more.

Bracing himself for this conversation, Izuku unlocked the door and opened it. Mitsuki's hard expression immediately softened when she saw him.

"Izuku! Oh, I'm so glad you're alright!" she exclaimed, stepping forward with her arms out, probably to hug him.

Izuku flinched backwards and took a step away from her. Mitsuki faltered, but she didn't force him into a hug, thankfully.

"What- Uh, what do you mean?" Izuku asked her, confused.

"Katsuki told me he hadn't seen you in school all week. Are you sick?"

Izuku frowned. Why did Bakugou care about his whereabouts? He thought his childhood friend would be ecstatic about him not showing up to school.

"No, not sick. Um, actually, I moved to online school. To help mom out." Might as well keep the lie consistent.

Mitsuki frowned. "Speaking of your mother, is she here?"

Izuku shook his head. "She got called in to work today."

She narrowed her eyes, suspicious, but Izuku had had practice with Eraserhead's glare enough to keep a good poker face. "When is she back then?"

"I'm not sure, her schedule is quite unpredictable," Izuku responded.

Mitsuki was getting frustrated. Her eyes darted behind Izuku into the apartment, but he was covering a good part of the entryway.

Her focus shifted back to him, and with a sigh, she said, "Okay. Can you tell her to call me then, when she gets a chance? I haven't spoken to her in a while. Is she doing alright?"

Izuku's tense shoulders relaxed, glad her questioning was over. "She's fine, just overworked, you know."

Mitsuki nodded and seemed to accept that answer. "Well, come over soon to have dinner or something, we miss ya, kid!" she said with a smile, showing her teeth.

Izuku forced a smile and agreed, though that was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't want to interact with Bakugou more than necessary, and there was no way he could get his mom to go with him.

When she left, Izuku slumped against the closed door, relieved. That could've gone a lot worse. He was just glad that Mitsuki didn't drag Bakugou along with her.

Once Mitsuki realized Inko wasn't going to call her anytime soon, he could only hope that she dropped it. But that was wishful thinking. Mitsuki didn't give up.

Not wanting to deal with that right now, Izuku went back to the couch to curl up under his blanket. Even though he had requested a shift pretty much every day, Kimura limited him to weekdays. If it really came down to it, he could get a weekend job.

Izuku sighed as he sat in boredom. Before, he would go to the cafe on the weekends, but he didn't have anything to actually do. Plus, if Shinsou was working, he didn't want to face that awkward interaction…

He decided to actually draft and send the email to Aldera, since he had been telling others about it, he should probably actually bring it to fruition.

Izuku pulled up the email app on his phone, then stopped. He didn't know his mom's email or password…

No problem, he could just create a new one. He's sure Aldera will not look into it too much.

[email protected] wasn't taken, wonderful.

Typing formally was hard, but he persevered. He just had to hope Aldera wouldn't actually call his mom to confirm or something.

Once that was done, his mind started racing again. Maybe he could go to the library and check out some books. He was sure he could find his old library card from when he was younger. Even though he was out of school, he didn't want to stop learning, per se. Now, he could read about what he wanted at his own pace.

At that moment, though, he really didn't want to do anything. With his mom around, even though she didn't care for him, she was at least there. Now, there was no one. No one to hold him accountable, to perform for. He didn't know if that was better or worse.

Izuku stayed on the couch, staring at the ceiling for who knows how long. When he checked the time, he could see that it was already almost midnight. The idea of patrolling usually got him motivated enough to get up, but today was just not his day.

He almost rolled over to sleep, but remembered that Eraserhead would probably have a fit if he didn't inform him that he was staying home today. Izuku groaned and picked up his burner from the table, and sent a quick text:

not going out tnite

Without looking for a response, he closed the phone and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

The next day went about the same. He only got up to use the bathroom. Not even his stomach pains could move him to the kitchen. This was a bad episode he could recognize in retrospect, probably one of the worst he's had. Not having to do anything made it easier to convince himself that lying there was fine.

It didn't help that the couch was extremely comfortable, which was surprising considering how old and beat up it looked.

Convinced he could rot on the couch for another day, he texted Eraserhead the same thing as the night before. There was no response from him the first time, but only a couple of seconds after he sent the text this time, Eraserhead responded.

This is the second time in a week you haven't been out two nights in a row. Everything alright?

nah im thinking of kms he typed, then deleted. He was the only one to find himself funny.

all good no need 2 worry

I am very worried about your grammar.

Izuku snorted.

i aint writing an essay here old man

No response, which Izuku expected. He set the phone back down and melted into the cushions, and wasted his time thinking of what could've happened if he reached out for help instead.

The next morning, Izuku set an alarm to get up for his first official shift at the cafe. He knew if he didn't, he would most likely oversleep and show up late.

Izuku forced himself up and had to stay still for a couple of minutes to let the dotted vision, dizziness, and shaky limbs pass. He took a few deep breaths, then went to get ready.

He showered, brushed his teeth, and had enough energy to make himself instant ramen. It would at least keep him full for the day.

Once that was done, he changed into appropriate clothes. He forgot to get his name tag during his training, so he would have to do that today. Grabbing his essentials, he left the apartment.

He arrived a few minutes early. Izuku looked for an empty name tag in the back and fastened it to his shirt once he had written his name on it. The apron was tied around his waist, and he started his shift.

It was weird. He felt like he was out of his body, watching himself work from above. Even the more ornery customers barely phased him. He spilled hot coffee on his sleeve, and that didn't muster a flinch.

He felt hollow.

Izuku was finally brought out of his zombie-like state when a familiar voice filtered through his brain.

"Midoriya?"

Izuku blinked, his vision clearing, and he stared at Shinsou, who stood just ahead of him. Disoriented, he said, intelligently, "What?"

Shinsou looked awkward, which was normal, but this was more than usual. He also seemed slightly guilty. Izuku frowned and was about to ask him what was wrong when the purple-haired boy beat him to it.

"I'm sorry. For what I said." After a pause, he elaborated, "About the quirk stuff. It was presumptuous of me, and a bad habit. You don't have to tell me about it. And thank you, for what you said… No one has ever really said that to me before."

Izuku genuinely had to think hard about his past words. He forgot about the interaction entirely over the weekend.

"Oh, y-you didn't have to apologize… It's alright. And, well, no problem? I personally think it should be common sense, but yeah."

Shinsou sighed. "Yeah, I wish." Another slightly awkward silence between them. "Want a coffee?"

Izuku nodded, relieved. "Yes, please."

His co-worker chuckled before going to the coffee machine. He really made it the best.

The two chatted amicably in between customers. It was… nice. It distracted Izuku enough from his destructive thoughts, along with the feeling of emptiness from hours ago.

"So you were already working a couple hours before I came in? Do you go to school?" Shinsou asked.

"Ah, online school. I'm pretty up-to-date on everything, so I can manage working during the day."

Shinsou raised a brow. "Oh, that must be nice, huh?"

Izuku shrugged. "It has its perks."

"I think I would rather do that than spend another day at my school."

His shift went on, made a little better by Shinsou's presence. Who would've known that having something in common (trauma) would make great conversation?

Before he knew it, his shift was over, and it was time to go back to the apartment. Neither of them was closing, so they left at the same time. It seemed that they were going in opposite directions, so Izuku bid him goodbye.

Izuku could feel the exhaustion settling into his bones by the time he got back to the apartment. He had already taken too much time off from patrolling, so he would have to push through.

Maybe he should invest in some energy drinks.

Having nothing else to do, he cleaned up a bit, and he finally organized his groceries. He thought more about the capture weapon idea, so he spent the rest of his time jotting down ideas. Izuku thought Dagobah Beach might have some parts of interest.

He also wrote down some things he could improve on himself during his vigilante excursions. Better gear, maybe a knife to defend himself from stronger opponents, a utility belt to hold said knife and other things, and more stuff like that.

Before he knew it, it was nearing midnight. Izuku sighed, set his notebook down, and got up to stretch and change. Once everything was on, he left.

Izuku encountered a couple of violent people before getting to his usual rooftop. Tonight would be one of those.

Unfortunately, one of the guys had a knife (even more proof that he should carry his own) and was good at wielding it. He got a swipe on Izuku's abdomen, and it was bleeding pretty steadily. But from first glance, the wound wasn't deep.

Because of this, he had a harder and slower time getting up on top of the building. He was panting by the time he climbed to the top, taking the liberty to lie sprawled out on the roof. Eraserhead met him like this.

The hero just stared, already questioning his life choices leading up to this moment. Izuku grinned.

"Hey, 'Raser! Long time no see. Do you happen to have any bandages lying around in that hero costume? For no reason, really…"

Eraserhead just sighed and threw a bundle at him without saying anything else.

"Thanks!" Izuku chirped, and he sat up. He pulled up his sweatshirt, careful not to reveal too much. Izuku wrapped up his wound and gave the leftover bandages to Eraser.

"Is it too optimistic of me to believe this will be your worst injury tonight?" the hero asked in a comically desperate tone.

"Hm, probably."

Despite his usual carefree demeanour around Eraserhead, he was exhausted. And hungry. Saving people was pushing him through it.

However, Eraserhead was observant as ever. And smart. He knew outright suggesting a break would put Izuku off, so he tried another tactic.

"Follow me," was all the hero said before he walked off determinedly in another direction with all the confidence of assuming Izuku would follow him, no questions asked.

Unfortunately, but fortunately for Eraserhead, Izuku was too curious not to follow. He just hoped whatever this was wouldn't take long, since all he wanted to do right now was collapse into his bed.

Eraserhead led him to a small ramen shop that looked to be open 24/7. Izuku frowned and stood outside while Eraser opened the door. "So, did you just want to show me your favourite ramen place, or…?"

He gave him a deadpan look. Izuku smiled sheepishly. "Look, that's great and all, 'Raser, but I don't have money on me—"

"Don't be stupid. Let's go."

Without further argument, Eraserhead entered the shop, and he followed closely behind. Above all else, Izuku could never say no to free food.

They were waited on pretty much right away, most likely due to the late hour. Eraserhead ordered his food, and so did Izuku. He chose the cheapest option, which would still give him more than what he needed. Thankfully, Eraser didn't comment on his choice.

Now, they sat in awkward silence. Well, awkward on his part. He was sure the hero did not care whatsoever about the tension. He sat completely quiet while Izuku fidgeted uncomfortably. Running around the city with the hero was one thing; sitting down with him in an enclosed space was another.

Their ramen was served, and Izuku was glad for something to do. Even if eating while trying to keep his mask over his face was awkward. However, it was definitely a good meal. Better than the store-bought one he acquired.

Suddenly, the air shifted, and Eraserhead leaned forward with his elbows on the table. While Izuku was thinking about other things, the hero had already finished his late-night dinner. He tensed, knowing the upcoming conversation would probably not be his favourite.

"Shadow—"

Izuku immediately interrupted him, his nerves sky high. "Shadow is such a bland name. I've been thinking of changing it. And something actually cool, you know? Something that will actually leave an impression on people…" He rambled for a while until Eraserhead cleared his throat. A sound that should really not be as intimidating as it was.

He shut his mouth, waiting for whatever he wanted to say.

"I'm just going to be blunt with you," Eraser started (and really, when was he not?), "I understand you have your own motivations to do… this… but even seasoned heroes can't just brute-force their way through a patrol. Especially for someone your age, you need to seriously be eating and sleeping properly."

Izuku inwardly groaned. Was he seriously getting a lecture right now?

"Sleep? When's the last time you had a full night's rest, 2004?"

Eraserhead gave him a blank stare. "I can regulate myself. You aren't. You made a lot of mistakes tonight and, honestly, for the past few nights. That will get you killed, and I can't always be around to save you."

Izuku wanted to reject that, but deep down, he was right. Ever since his mother left, he'd been running on autopilot while forgetting basic human needs. But he hated that he was having this conversation with Eraserhead, of all people.

Acting a bit petulant, Izuku crossed his arms across his chest. "You don't need to save me all the time. I can handle it." A lie, but he couldn't admit the truth.

Eraserhead tsked. "No, you can't. I've held back my own curiosity to respect your wishes, but if I have to get Tsukauchi to look into you and your home life, I will."

The words had a physical impact on Izuku. He leaned back in his chair and stopped himself from rubbing his chest from the sudden pain he felt there. He was angry, but also scared. Who did he think he was?

"You wouldn't."

"I would. I will not be witness to your death, Shadow. You don't understand the restraint I have from using my capture weapon to contain you all night. Something has to change. Do you have a safe space to go to after this is over?"

What a load of bullshit. Izuku abruptly stood from his seat, almost knocking the chair over in his haste. "As if you care. You're not my dad, Eraserhead. Do you really think I need you around all the time? I could easily go somewhere else, away from you. You think finding out who I am is going to make a difference? Fine! But I am not going to stay around and let you treat me like some project to make yourself feel better."

His chest was heaving, and he could tell his response bothered Eraserhead. Good. Izuku was bluffing his whole way through. If Eraserhead really did find out who he was, he was fucked. He could technically find another area to hang out in, but he didn't want to do that, truly. His hands were shaking so hard he had to clench them into fists.

Eraserhead finally spoke, "You're right, I'm not your dad. But I am a hero, whether you like it or not. I can't let you burn yourself out into nothing. Hate me if you want. I'd rather you do that than be dead."

Izuku didn't like where this conversation ended up. He felt like the walls were closing in on him, and he needed to get out. Without responding, he fled the restaurant. He ignored the hero yelling his name; he needed to leave.

He ran for what felt like forever. Eventually, he was too exhausted to continue. Once he checked his surroundings to make sure he wasn't followed, he quickly entered the apartment and slammed the door behind him, mentally apologizing to his neighbours.

Izuku's breaths were coming out fast, and he couldn't control them. He ripped his mask off and pushed the hood of his sweatshirt off his head, hyperventilating. After he got his shoes off next, he collapsed into a heap in front of the couch.

He pulled his knees to his chest and curled into a ball, tears stinging his eyes. Izuku stayed like that until he passed out.

Fortunately and unfortunately for him, past Izuku had the insight to set an alarm for the next morning for his shift. It was an earlier shift, so he just couldn't wait…

Izuku groaned when he woke up and immediately shut the alarm off. His joints ached from his sleep position on the floor, and he knew without checking a mirror that his eyes were still puffy and red.

He sighed and stretched, getting up and quickly getting ready. Izuku left his hair wet after his shower, only rubbing the towel over it quickly so he had time to walk to the cafe. The walk was fine. The morning rush made him nervous, though.

Luckily, Kimura was with him to help. It was just the two of them for the first part of the morning, and customers were generally patient and understanding, but there were always those who made him question his life choices.

During his shift, a blonde man with a perpetual cheery disposition came up to the register. Izuku wanted to shade his eyes from the sheer glow of his smile. How was he so energetic this early?

"Good morning! I'll take one black coffee and an iced vanilla latte to go," the man said.

Izuku entered the order into the register and made a small noise from his throat. "Good choice on the latte," he said conversationally.

The man grinned, "Thank you, Listener!"

The response made him freeze. Already, Izuku thought his appearance and voice were familiar, but this pretty much solidified his assumption.

Without thinking, Izuku blurted, "Present Mic?"

Both of their eyes widened. Izuku immediately apologized. "S-sorry! I shouldn't have—"

"No, no! It's alright! I'm surprised but delighted you recognized me! A radio show enjoyer?"

Izuku bit his bottom lip and nodded. Ever since he was young, he turned on Present Mic's radio show. He hadn't recently, but he would never not recognize that voice and endearing nickname the hero gave his fans.

Present Mic snapped finger guns at him and winked. "Great taste! Here," the man gave him cash, and Izuku realized he hadn't even given him his total. "Keep the change."

It was a lot more than necessary. But before Izuku could give it back, Present Mic was already at the pick-up counter. Izuku put the money needed in the register and pocketed the rest. Kimura did tell him that employees could keep any tips given to them.

Once he shook out of his stupor, Izuku started making the drinks. He wondered who the second one was for.

"Here you go," Izuku said and placed the coffees on the counter for him.

"You rock! Thanks," Present Mic replied as he grabbed each cup. Izuku waved, watching as he left the cafe. How wild.

After that, the rest of his shift went by pretty boringly. Since he had the morning shift, it ended before he could work with Shinsou. Honestly, he was fine with that because he swore that boy could read through his bullshit easily.

He said goodbye to Kimura and walked home without trouble. When he got home, though, he collapsed back onto the couch. He hadn't had time really to process what happened the night before.

Yes, what Eraserhead said was true, on some level at least. He was falling apart. However, that was not Izuku's concern. If it killed him, good. What really bothered him was what Eraserhead said afterwards.

After their rocky beginning, when Eraserhead tried to arrest him the first (few) times, he had never threatened him like that. And the worst part was, Izuku didn't think he was lying. He would do that if he thought it was protecting Izuku. It was just not the kind of "protection" he wanted.

This sucked because what was he supposed to do? He didn't want to run into Eraserhead or risk his threat coming true. But he also wanted to go out… Ugh. This really sucked.

For now, Izuku wanted to catch up on some sleep.

Over the next few nights, Izuku stayed home, much to his dislike. Eraserhead had texted him a few times, but he never checked the messages. Screw him.

And screw Tsukauchi too. Well, maybe that was uncalled for, because he doesn't actually know if Tsukauchi would follow along with Eraserhead in his plan.

Oh, who was he kidding? Tsukauchi and Eraserhead worked together. And probably had some history that made them relatively close. Why would he show loyalty towards a troublesome kid?

He was in way over his head here. Maybe he should move on to somewhere else. Or, maybe he should speed up his plan. Whatever was most convenient.

It had been days of still staying in at night and ignoring Eraserhead's texts. One afternoon, he was on his way out for his job at the cafe when he opened the door to a shocked Tsukauchi and a couple of officers behind him.

Izuku froze, all kinds of scenarios running through his mind.

Eraserhead didn't lie and told Tsukauchi to find me; he found me; Aldera didn't buy his bullshit excuse and sent an officer to arrest him for truancy; his classmates framed the quirkless kid for a crime he didn't commit; etc., etc.

"Midoriya Izuku?" Tsukauchi started, his voice bringing him back to the present. He hid his shaky hands in the pockets of his pants. He nodded.

The detective put on a smile that was probably supposed to be reassuring, but it made dread manifest more sharply instead.

"Sorry about this. You look to be heading somewhere, so we'll be quick. An individual made a concerning call to our station stating that you weren't in a, quote, 'safe and loving environment'. Is your mother home?"

Izuku was starting to get sick and tired of that question. "No, sir. She's at work." He had to be careful here, especially knowing Tsukauchi's quirk. He knew that to be true, at least.

Tsukauchi nodded. "Is she normally gone around this time?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Could you please give us some way to contact her?" Tsukauchi asked.

Izuku frowned, becoming defensive. "Why do you need that?"

The detective paused, probably not expecting any pushback. "The individual was quite adamant that we investigate this, Midoriya. We will need to speak to your mother for questions, I'm afraid."

Izuku's heart was beating out of his chest. No one cared enough to make a report like this. Well, that wasn't really true. Mitsuki cared, for some reason. In her own way. But this was too much.

Thinking it was just easier to comply, he gave the detective his mother's number. He wondered if she had changed it when she moved out.

"Thank you, Midoriya. Sorry again for the intrusion," Tsukauchi said kindly, and he and his officers left quickly.

When they were gone, Izuku heaved an exhausted sigh. This month had been the absolute worst.

Chapter Text

Ignoring problems should be Izuku's quirk or something. It was too easy for him to pretend like a pro hero didn't warn him about digging into his personal life just to get him off the streets, or that a detective with a literal lie detector quirk didn't just stop by and try to unravel the lies Izuku had crafted to survive the past few weeks.

Nah. Instead of worrying about that, he went grocery shopping.

He got his first paycheck from Kimura recently, and it was a decent amount for the hours he worked each week. He honestly didn't want to spend it this early, but food was kind of a necessity.

And, well, after the hell that was last month, he wanted to treat himself to some actual meals. Sue him.

He strolled through the aisles aimlessly, ignoring some of the weird looks he got that he told his mind had nothing to do with his quirk status (they literally can't tell what quirk you have, Izuku, relax) and probably everything to do with a teenager grocery shopping alone on a weekend.

Yeah, he didn't really think that through. But it's not like kids don't shop alone sometimes, so it wasn't that weird.

Izuku had grabbed rice, miso and soup stock, seaweed, and he planned to get eggs as well. The last thing he had trouble deciding to get was salmon. Izuku wasn't a cook, but he had been learning some dishes recently. Especially ever since his mom expected dinner to be made for her when she got home each night.

He grabbed it impulsively to counteract his tentative thoughts.

As he was strolling out of the aisle, his cart hit someone else's as they were turning the corner. Izuku flinched at the clash it made, and he immediately spat out apologies.

"S-so sorry! Sorry about that…" he mumbled, pulling his cart back so the other person could move freely.

When he looked up to see who he actually hit, all he saw was blonde. Then, Present Mic's face became the focal point of his attention. "Hey, Listener! No harm done."

"Pre— Uh, hey!" Izuku stumbled over his words, not knowing his civilian name but also not wanting to out him in the middle of the grocery store. So he lives around here? That's the second pro hero he's found around this area.

Present Mic smiled kindly. "You can call me Yamada when I'm not on the job."

Izuku nodded, his eyes straying over to the man's cart, noticing just how many things he was buying. Surely that wasn't all for one person? Did he live with a partner?

Thinking that was the end of their interaction, Izuku was about to move away from him. However, the hero just beamed and waved a hand. "You know coffee, right? My husband is awfully picky about his. Can you help me choose a blend?"

Stuck on the word husband and the fact that Present Mic—Yamada—still wanted him around, he didn't follow right away. When the man was getting further away, Izuku hurried to follow, convinced he had heard him wrong until Yamada turned to give him a pointed look.

This was… strange. Definitely not how he saw his Saturday going. And now that he was hyper aware of everything, he was embarrassed by his less-than-put-together outfit: sweatpants and a hoodie that said "t-shirt" across the front.

Meanwhile, Yamada, though in his civilian clothes, still looked very professional and captured attention everywhere he went. He was very deliberate in every action he took; even when deciding which coffee brand to choose, he considered each one with careful eyes.

He finally turned to Izuku, an inquisitive look still on his face. "What do you think?"

Yamada let him know that his husband took his coffee black most of the time, but occasionally, he would enjoy it sweet.

Izuku felt like he was cosplaying a coffee expert. He honestly asked Shinsou for help a lot of the time when he was working… But he wouldn't tell Yamada that. It felt nice to be useful in a sense.

"Maybe this?" Izuku picked up a medium roast blend from a brand he recognized. Perhaps the cafe used it, he wasn't sure.

"Let me see," Yamada said before grabbing the coffee, and he placed it in the cart. "I haven't bought this kind yet! This might just be the one!"

Izuku could feel himself sweating under the pressure. Maybe he'd never run into him again…

Again, he thought this was the end of their interaction. Again, he was wrong. Somehow, Yamada had roped Izuku into the rest of his grocery shopping. The weirdest part? He asked Izuku about his opinions on things as if they genuinely mattered.

Izuku didn't think he'd be here for so long. He was getting tired, but he didn't want Yamada to think he wanted to leave. He really didn't. Spending the day with one of his favourite pro-heroes was… well, a dream come true. A dream he had given up on soon after meeting All Might.

Thinking about this had him zoning out. He didn't hear Yamada's voice calling his name until the man put a hand on his shoulder. Not expecting it, he flinched backwards, eyes wide.

Yamada looked shocked and slightly concerned, and he put his hand back at his side. "Midoriya? You alright?"

Izuku shook himself out of it and forced a small smile. "I-I'm okay! Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said we should probably go check out now… I realize how much time I've taken from you!"

He waved his hands in front of him. "No worries! Really!" I had fun.

They walked to the checkout together, Yamada going first. Once his stuff was paid for and bagged (which took a while, because of the amount of things he had), he waved to Izuku with a bright smile. "Bye-bye!"

Izuku managed to smile for real this time. Yamada's smiles were too bright not to return. "Bye, Yamada-san."

Once the man was out of sight, it was like the weight returned to his shoulders tenfold. Grocery shopping with Yamada, as small and insignificant an action it seemed, was probably… the best thing to happen to him in a while.

Izuku paid the cashier and left, the bags feeling heavier than they should've been.

When he walked up the steps to the apartment, the door was slightly open. He froze, panic overtaking him. He knew he had locked the door, but did someone break in? But why? He didn't have anything of value.

Bracing himself, Izuku pushed the door open, and his jaw dropped when he recognized the woman standing in the middle of the living room, as if waiting for him.

"M-mom? Why- um, why are you here?"

She looked livid. She stomped forward and grabbed his wrist in a tight grip, making him drop the shopping bag that was in that hand.

"Why are the police calling me, Izuku? What did you say to them?" she bit out, her chest rising and falling harshly.

Izuku hesitated, the conversation with Tsukauchi coming back to him. Because he didn't answer right away, his mother's grip on his wrist tightened, and he flinched.

"I-I didn't tell them an-anything, I swear! The police came by asking for your number, and I gave it to them. I-I didn't know what to do, I'm sorry—"

He was cut off by the feeling of a sharp sting on his left cheek; his head turned to the side because of the impact. It wasn't the first time she'd laid a hand on him, but it didn't hurt any less.

Inko was speaking, but he couldn't hear her over the ringing in his ears. It's funny how much of a dip his day had taken with such a simple interaction.

"Izuku," she demanded, and he quickly snapped out of it. "Did you even hear me? Were you listening?"

Izuku wished he were now. She would get even angrier with his response. He shook his head, but thankfully, Inko didn't hit him again.

"We have to go to the police station today. Together. So get ready."

The news filled him with dread, but he hurried to get dressed appropriately. He left the groceries on the floor near the couch. Izuku chose a simple shirt with comfortable pants, and he grabbed a zip-up to cover his arms. It wasn't terribly cold, but there was still a breeze that justified his choice.

After that was done, he went back out to the foyer to put his shoes on. Inko was already waiting by the door, her arms crossed over her chest impatiently.

He could tell without looking in a mirror that the left side of his face was bright red, but he could explain that away with the exertion of walking all the way to the police station. Izuku just hoped that no one looked closely enough to recognize the hand-shaped blotch on his cheek.

They eventually made it, and Izuku was getting more panicked the closer they got to the station. Inko strode right up to the front desk, plastering on the facade she used when talking to strangers.

"Hello! I'm Midoriya Inko, and I'm here with my son, Midoriya Izuku. We were told to come in today sometime after noon."

The woman behind the desk nodded her head, typed some things on the computer in front of her, then said, "Just take a seat over there and Detective Tsukauchi will be with you shortly."

Inko thanked her, and they both sat down in the plastic chairs lined beside the entrance to the building. Izuku was a bundle of nerves; he had foolishly hoped that Tsukauchi wouldn't be the one to question them.

He would have to be careful, then. More careful than ever. Izuku hadn't asked Tsukauchi how his quirk worked (as Shadow), mostly because when he did, the man simply never humoured him. So he made up his own assumptions.

Technically, Tsukauchi's quirk didn't detect universal truths and lies, only what the person he used it on believed to be true or false. If a person committed a crime, it would be hard—maybe even impossible—to make themselves believe that they didn't do it since they consciously executed that decision. It got a little muddier when the person would've been asked about their moral stance on what a "crime" was and if they thought it was true justice to be prosecuted.

Now, Izuku was stuck on half-truths, and how that would come up for Tsukauchi. Would his quirk detect it as a lie? Or would it detect anything at all? He wondered if his quirk gave Tsukauchi an innate feeling that the man interpreted as "truth" or "lie" that he had to learn over time to perfect, or if his quirk literally just popped the words "truth" or "lie" in front of him as soon as a person spoke.

Honestly, Izuku understood why Tsukauchi never answered these questions. If the general population knew, they would find ways to counteract his quirk effectively.

With all that being said, Izuku had no idea how to go about this. From the nature of the call he was sure Mitsuki made, Tsukauchi would probably focus on maternal abuse. Could Izuku really convince himself to believe that Inko didn't abuse or neglect him? He wasn't sure.

A lot of the time, he thought he deserved it. Inko was dealing with too much, and with a quirkless kid on top of that? Yeah, he could understand. But was that different than believing it was abuse in the first place?

He thought this over for what seemed like a long time before Tsukauchi came out of, presumably, his office, and walked over to the two of them. Inko stood immediately, a nervous smile on her face.

"Detective, hi," she said sweetly, sticking a hand out to shake his. Tsukauchi had a quizzical look in his eyes, but he shook her hand nonetheless. Izuku stood, standing slightly behind his mother.

"Are you sure this isn't some big misunderstanding? Was the call even about me? I mean, people rarely come visit me and Izuku, there's no possible way that anyone could make such snap judgements on our house, you know?"

Tsukauchi looked like he was about to respond when Inko gasped dramatically, her hand covering her mouth, feigning concern. "Or, you don't think it's…" she lowered her voice, leaning in towards Tsukauchi like they were sharing a secret, "because he's quirkless, do you?"

And there it was. Izuku actually didn't know if Mitsuki mentioned that to Tsukauchi, but if she didn't, he knew now.

It was draining to physically watch as Tsukauchi's posture straightened and eyes hardened when gazing down at Inko. It was good for him, he guessed, that this would easily be forgotten because of Izuku's quirk status. But at the same time, he thought maybe his quirk wouldn't matter this time. How naive.

Instead of dismissing them, though, he said, "I'm afraid it's no misunderstanding, Midoriya-san. The call was strictly about you and your son. Because of the nature of this call, I will have to ask you two some questions."

Izuku was shocked. He didn't expect the detective to continue with the investigation.

Inko's expression fell for a fraction of a second before she forced another smile. "Okay, no problem." It clearly was a problem, and Izuku could see the small twitch of Tsukauchi's eyebrow that probably told him that statement was a lie.

Izuku let out a quiet sigh when he followed them to a room that looked like a stereotypical interrogation room from movies and crime TV shows. He and Inko sat on one side, Tsukauchi on the other.

The man took out a notepad, a pen, and he relaxed back against the chair. Must be nice.

Meanwhile, Izuku was feeling sick with nerves. He didn't know what Tsukauchi was going to ask, what would be revealed. More importantly, what would happen if Tsukauchi decided Inko wasn't fit to be his mother?

"So, to begin, I need to make clear to you two my quirk. I call it Lie Detector, and it's basically how it sounds. Whenever you answer a question of mine, I can tell whether or not you are telling the truth," Tsukauchi said.

Izuku could see Inko tense, her features freezing in place. Izuku would find it funny if it were any other situation.

"Wow, how… apt of a quirk for a detective," Inko commented, rolling her shoulders back to exude the confidence she probably didn't have.

Tsukauchi smiled small at her observation. "Quite. Additionally, I'm going to ask you two some questions regarding your home life. The caller wanted to remain anonymous, but they were concerned about your son, Izuku's—may I call you that?" at Izuku's nod, he continued, "well-being. They think you've, ah, been neglectful, and have left him alone."

Inko looked confused. "Well, detective, I am a nurse. My work hours are very unpredictable sometimes, so he will be left alone for hours at a time. It has never been an issue before… I mean, he's thirteen now, almost fourteen! That is not too young to be alone. Plus, for most of the day, he's at school."

Shit. He forgot to tell her he moved to online school… Well, unless Mitsuki told Tsukauchi that, he was sure he didn't know, and wouldn't know about it.

"I see." Tsukauchi wrote some things down on his notepad. "I guess I should be more blunt, then. Have you been neglecting Izuku? Giving him less than what he needs?"

Izuku looked over at his mother, wondering how she would respond.

But Inko didn't hesitate. "Of course not! I've given him everything he deserves."

A big difference between what Inko thought he deserved and what he needed. Inko must truly believe herself, because Tsukauchi didn't waver. More scribbling, then Tsukauchi turned to him, his expression softened.

"Izuku, I want to ask you a couple of questions now, okay? But before I do, do you want to do this alone? Your mother doesn't have to be in the room."

At that, Inko looked indignant. "Why would I need to leave the room?" she asked, her voice slightly shrill.

Tsukauchi sighed. "It's protocol. If a child is in a potentially abusive situation, then they might not feel comfortable talking with the parent in the room."

Inko didn't look happy about it, but she didn't say anything. But he knew she would get even more upset if he decided to talk to Tsukauchi alone. Izuku kept his gaze on his lap as he said, "She can stay."

There was a pause, and only the sound of pen on paper filled the room. "That's fine. Do you feel safe at home, Izuku?"

He hesitated, which was probably a bad sign. Then he said, "Yes." Because Inko doesn't live there anymore.

Tsukauchi nodded. "Has she hurt you in any way? Physically, emotionally?"

Izuku tensed at this question. He wasn't sure if there was a way around this one.

Thankfully (or not, he wasn't sure yet), Inko gave him time to think about it when she stood up from her chair, angry. "How dare you? I would never do such a thing! Do you understand how hard it is to raise a child as a single mother? Do you have any children, Detective?" And she went on and on, talking about how raising a quirkless child was harder than a "normal" one, and how her methods were probably "different" than another parent's.

It was jarring to listen to. His head was lowered, his hands covering his ears. Suddenly, he could hear someone calling his name. He stood up, almost as abruptly as Inko did, causing both of them to look shocked.

"C-can I— Um, where's the bathroom?" Izuku stuttered. He could feel a mild panic attack coming on.

Tsukauchi blinked, confused and slightly concerned. "Uh, turn left out of the room, down the hallway, and first door on the right."

"Thanks," he whispered, speed walking out of the room. Izuku followed the detective's directions and quickly slipped inside, hoping he was alone.

His breaths were coming fast. He walked over to one of the sinks, turning it on and splashing his face with water. Izuku forced himself to take deep breaths, and he eventually calmed down.

Izuku looked into the bathroom mirror and turned his head slightly to see if his cheek was still red. It wasn't. It was like the hit never happened.

After a few moments, he collected himself, and he walked out of the bathroom. He had his head down, so he didn't see when someone rounded a corner, and he bumped into them.

For the second time that day, he quickly apologized to whoever he ran into. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," he said and tried to quickly walk away, but the voice stopped him in his tracks.

"I didn't think I would see you here."

Izuku turned around, his eyes wide. Eraserhead. Damnit, of course. He hadn't seen him since the ramen shop, and seeing him here as Izuku (the civilian) was disorienting.

"Oh, um, hey…" Izuku coughed into his fist, not really knowing what to say.

Eraserhead raised a brow. "Why are you here?"

Izuku didn't really want to answer that. "Oh, you know… I was caught selling illicit drugs. The uzhe."

"If you were caught selling illicit drugs, you wouldn't be here," Eraserhead deadpanned, already over it.

Izuku pulled one shoulder up in a shrug. "That's what you think."

Tsukauchi was probably wondering where we had gone by now, so he had to get back. But he needed to know…

"So, um, did you… Did you keep the kitten?"

Eraserhead nodded into his capture weapon. "I did. We— I named her Eclipse."

The cat they found was a black cat, so kind of basic, but otherwise a cute name. And he didn't miss the we.

"Oh, cool." Izuku didn't know what else to say. It was nice that Eraserhead took her in, so he knew the kitten was in good hands.

When neither of them said anything else, Izuku took a step back. "Well, good seeing you… again… Bye," he said, and turned to leave before Eraserhead could say anything else.

It was a bit hard to separate this Eraserhead from the one who told him he would go after Izuku's identity to stop him from patrolling. The resentment was still there, even if he sort of understood where the hero was coming from.

When he opened the door to the room, the energy was still tense. Inko hadn't sat back down, and it seemed like she might have reamed out the detective a second time since he had left.

She turned sharply towards Izuku when he entered the room. "Come on, Izuku. We're leaving."

Inko walked towards him, grabbing his arm to lead him out. Izuku glanced at Tsukauchi, confused. The man sighed.

"Technically, Izuku, you don't have to answer my questions. That's your right. I asked Midoriya-san the questions I needed to," Tsukauchi explained.

Izuku was still confused. Was that really it? He guessed they didn't have enough evidence to actually do anything. Izuku could say something, but honestly, he didn't want to. Inko wasn't in the house anymore. She was supposed to be leaving him alone. If they arrested her, his life would be turned upside down. He was fine with how things were going right now.

Plus, Izuku was still considering moving to a different apartment, something smaller. So it was not like they would bother him in the future.

"Oh… Okay. Um, thanks for your time…" Izuku said awkwardly, and before Tsukauchi could reply, Inko was pulling him out of the room.

Her grip was getting tighter as they walked. They even passed Eraserhead, who was standing outside Tsukauchi's office. The two of them locked eyes for a second, until Inko had pulled him out of the station completely.

Inko didn't let go until they were out of sight of the police station. The walk back to the apartment was silent. When they finally got back, Inko stayed at the door. She looked at him with cold eyes.

"Don't let this happen again," she said.

As if it were his fault. Izuku took in a stuttering breath, clenching his fists. "I won't."

Inko nodded once, then she left, slamming the door behind her as she did. Izuku let out a breath that turned into a sob, and he sat on the floor next to the groceries he had left by the couch.

He ran his hands through his hair, tugging on it harshly. How could she kill his confidence so easily? It wasn't always like this. Before he was diagnosed quirkless, and even a little afterwards, they were so close. It honestly didn't hurt as much when his father left, because he barely talked to him in the first place.

But his mother? She was always there for him. She was the first one to believe that he could be a hero, that he could make a positive change in the world. How could he have messed it up so badly?

Izuku sat there for who knows how long before he decided the groceries needed to be put away. He did that, busying himself. He didn't notice how badly his hands were shaking until he dropped one of the packages of food on the floor.

He blew out a breath, picking it up and putting it away. Once he finished, he curled up on the couch and passed out.

Izuku woke up later feeling reinvigorated. He felt like training for the first time in a while. Not exactly patrolling again, but he had been slacking.

His vigilante phone was in his room. He kept it in there after the first couple of days of constant buzzing of texts from who he assumed was Eraserhead. Maybe Tsukauchi.

Now, it should have calmed down. He was in the right—well, not right, but a better—mindset now, so he wanted to check them.

Izuku pushed the door open to his room and grabbed the phone that was sitting on the nightstand. He opened it, and his jaw dropped at the number of unread messages: close to a hundred. What the hell?!

He opened his messages, seeing that the majority were from Eraserhead, as he guessed, and only a few from Tsukauchi.

Eraserhead's messages were frantic in the first couple of days that Izuku didn't answer. It was basically asking about his whereabouts, if he was okay, and that he didn't mean to come on so strongly. After about a week, he managed to limit it to one message per night. Each night Izuku didn't show up for patrol, he would send a check-in message. There was even one from yesterday night.

He hadn't stopped messaging… every day… What the hell? There were never messages that blamed him, either. All asking about his well-being. Izuku wasn't sure how to feel about it.

The ones from Tsukauchi were mostly the same. There was one message about what Eraserhead told him:

Shadow, just letting you know, I wouldn't approve Eraserhead's request unless you were in a position of hurting yourself or others. Or, you know, actually committing a crime.

That reassured him, honestly. He initially thought Tsukauchi would easily go along with Eraserhead's whims. He guessed getting hurt during patrol didn't count for hurting yourself as long as they thought it wasn't deliberate.

Izuku held the phone in his hands for a long time. He didn't know if he should reply or not. At least not yet. It further convinced him to get back into training so he could go back out there. Maybe reconcile with Eraserhead… But that was a stretch.

He put on his vigilante "suit" and climbed out the window, making his way to Dagobah Beach. Izuku cleared some more trash, and then he did his usual workouts. It took him a little bit to get the rhythm back, but he got there.

It was getting dark, and Izuku really contemplated getting back to patrolling, but he decided not yet. He wasn't ready for that yet.

The next day, he did a little research, and he ended up with a new vigilante name, something he actually thought sounded good. Then, he did some research on making different gears and tools.

Once he had a mock-up of what he wanted to build, he journeyed back to Dagobah Beach. He had limited resources, so he would have to make do with what he had.

Izuku had an old belt he wanted to utilize. He had some old patches he could sew onto it so that he could carry extra items with him that he needed. Izuku also found a knife strap holder thingy he could tie on his thigh for easy access.

After that, he tested everything to make sure it could withstand his erratic ways. It was good enough for now.

Unfortunately, he just did not have the resources to try his hand at making a capture weapon. Maybe some other time.

It took a few nights, but he felt better and ready to go back on patrol. He was still getting texts every night from Eraser, and he decided to reply this time.

meet @ reg rooftop

He didn't know if Eraserhead still bothered to check there before his shift started, so he had to be sure. Like usual, Izuku didn't check for a response, and he was off.

Izuku just hoped this conversation didn't go as disastrously as the last one.