Chapter Text
This was Izuku's last chance at freedom.
That was the first thought that filtered through Izuku's mind as he stepped through Kurogiri's portal and into the USJ. He watched as a flurry of emotions passed through each student in class 1-A's expressions: surprise, confusion, and then panic.
He didn't care for them, though. No. His focus was on Eraserhead. The hero who held Izuku's fate in his hands.
Izuku had done his analysis. When he was informed by All for One that he would be included on this raid and to do extensive research on the hero leading the class, he fell into a bit of a rabbit hole. Simply searching Eraserhead seldom delivered any information, so he did what he did best: dig through the internet for answers.
Still, it didn't offer much. But that was why Izuku was being utilized here: for his affinity to analysis. He usually could tell a lot from a single video, and that helped him out a lot here. With only a blurry video of Eraserhead fighting and a few anecdotes from people online, he gathered a few things.
One, his quirk cancelled out others'. Two, he had some sort of weapon around his neck that bent to his will and carried the hero across rooftops like Tarzan swinging through vines (and seeing the hero clearly in person, it looked like a scarf). Three, and most importantly, he cared about his students.
The last point was something he inferred from complaints about the hero online. Once he knew that Eraserhead was also a UA teacher, he searched for the two in tandem. Instantly, numerous accounts of being expelled by the hero popped up. Izuku thought maybe he was a grumpy old man who didn't care about the wistful dreams of kids becoming heroes, yet he concluded quite the opposite.
"Izuku," Tomura's rough voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Are you paying attention?"
Tomura was agitated already, which was never a good sign. Izuku quickly realized why: there was no sight of All Might.
"Yes," Izuku replied quietly, his eyes tracking each student. The bottom half of his face was covered by a mask, and he was wearing a hood with his 'villain costume.' It was only a black jumpsuit that protected his body and several hidden straps and pockets to keep his daggers and knives. As this was his first official 'mission' he was allowed to be on, he had almost no time to prepare better weapons.
Tomura growled and started scratching his neck aggressively. Izuku internally cringed at the sight.
"All Might was supposed to be here," Tomura snapped as if Izuku didn't know that. As if he wasn't given the rundown of the plan millions of times.
"So what're we supposed to do?" Izuku replied curtly. Tomura's hands twitched, and he knew the boy was seething at his attitude. He was the only one who could really get away with talking back.
Kurogiri, the more sensible of the two, said, "Maybe we should retreat. Come up with another plan."
"No." Tomura didn't entertain the thought for a second. "This is fine. We can draw him out by killing a couple of his students."
Dread swirled in his stomach, but he bit back his retort. He remembered why he was here: to escape. They couldn't leave yet. However, Izuku would rather no one die.
The students, apparently hearing that part, looked terrified. Eraserhead's face was blank save for the slight furrow of his brows. The scarf-weapon-thing was held in the man's hand, ready to strike.
"Thirteen," Eraserhead suddenly yelled, "protect the students!"
Then, he rushed forward towards the low-level villains that Tomura insisted they take with them. He easily beat them, of course, because Eraserhead was a pro, and no one listened to Izuku.
A burst of movement caught his eye, and he noticed Ingenium's brother racing towards the exit. He didn't notify Tomura.
As Eraserhead was occupied, Kurogiri slinked forward and went to incapacitate Thirteen. Izuku felt his window of opportunity shrink exponentially.
"Izuku, take down Eraserhead," Tomura instructed.
"Wha— Me?!"
It was exactly what Izuku wanted. But to actually go up against Eraserhead? Tomura must be insane.
"Don't question me," the manchild retorts, his dry skin flaking off the more he scratched it. "You know the most about him. You'll figure out his weak points. Don't disappoint Sensei."
Right, because that's what it was all about.
"Fine," was all Izuku could say, because he knew what would happen if he disobeyed.
Not wanting to waste another moment, Izuku ran off towards the hero who was still fighting a couple of thugs. Once he finished them off, Izuku didn't give him a chance to recover. He rushed forward and hit the hero in the back. A cheap shot, maybe, but he was desperate.
Eraserhead grunted and turned, his eyes flashing red and hair lifting. Izuku paused, slightly mesmerized. More theories rushed through his head, mostly why his hair floated with the activation of the hero's quirk.
Luckily for him, Eraserhead didn't use his momentary distraction to his advantage. He gazed at Izuku calculatingly. "How old are you? Why are you playing villain?" Eraserhead grunted.
Izuku's heart started racing. Now. This was his chance.
After making sure Tomura wasn't watching from the corner of his eye, Izuku shook his head quickly. "I need help," Izuku whispered.
Eraserhead frowned, his weapon still held tightly in his hand. "What?"
Izuku let out a frustrated breath and moved forward. "Help. I need help," he said a little louder, his voice coated in distress. "I-I'm not with them. Please."
Before Eraserhead could reply, Izuku saw Tomura about to turn his way. Izuku's breath hitched, and he moved forward again, getting in closer to Eraserhead and grabbing onto his hero suit. "Fight me."
"What—"
Izuku threw a punch that was easily deflected. Eraserhead twisted Izuku's arm around his back, then shoved him onto the ground. Izuku let out a pathetic wheeze.
"What are you playing at? Why are you guys here?" Eraserhead demanded, keeping pressure on him.
"I-I'm not with them. I've been taken unwillingly and forced to be here. Please believe me," Izuku gasped out.
Eraserhead let up, but only barely. "How can I trust you?"
"I'll tell you anything. I know their plans and their weaknesses. I can help you beat them."
There was no immediate reply, and Izuku hoped that meant the hero was considering it.
"How did you guys know we'd be here?"
Izuku wasn't expecting that to be the first question, but he didn't hesitate to answer. "The security breach a few days ago—that was To— Shigaraki. The guy with the hands all over him. He used the press so he could slip through UA's gate and find 1-A's itinerary."
"I knew it," Eraserhead grumbled under his breath. Out loud, he asked, "Did he steal anything else?"
Izuku shook his head. "No. That was it. He was banking on All Might being here because they want to kill him."
"'They'? Who's they?"
"The— The League of Villains. Right now, it's only Shigaraki and Kurogiri, the mist guy. And, well, me. B-but I'm not a willing member. I promise," he rushed to add.
"All these other guys? Are they just pawns, then?" Eraserhead questioned.
Izuku held in an irritated sigh. Was this really the most important thing to know?
"Yes. He didn't have enough members yet, so he hired a bunch of thugs."
Eraserhead hummed thoughtfully. "What else?"
"Shigaraki's quirk. It's extremely dangerous. He can disintegrate anything as long as he touches it with all five fingers. Stay clear of his hands, or find a way to disarm him. He can get really irritated and rises to bait easily. Th-they brought something else. A 'Nomu,' they call it. It's— It's a monster with multiple quirks orchestrated to fight All Might. Very powerful, almost invincible. Shigaraki can control it with only his voice."
The information came out like a rush of water spurting out of a broken dam. Anything to get the hero to trust him, for him to know that Izuku was not on the villains' side. Anything to reach safety.
Eraserhead released his crushing hold on Izuku's arm, and he let out a relieved breath.
"How old are you?" the hero repeated his earlier question, though his voice had a much softer tone to it.
Izuku frowned. Why did it matter? "F-fifteen."
A mumbled curse left Eraserhead's mouth, and he stood up. Izuku scrambled to a seated position so he could get a clear look at the underground hero. His expression was too complicated to decipher.
"Find cover. Do not engage with any of my students unless they find you first. Explain to them that you have my protection. That should make them leave you alone. Once the authorities are here, tell them the same thing so that they don't arrest you. Do you understand?"
Izuku clenched his fists, hope coursing through his veins. Did he do it? Did he finally do it?
"Y-yes, sir. Th-thank you."
Eraserhead said nothing else, only regarded him curiously before leaving to fight. Izuku sucked in a shuddering breath before pushing himself off the ground and finding cover as the hero instructed. After evading Tomura's attention, he found a small pile of rubble near the exit and hid behind it, out of sight.
Izuku took the time to catch his breath, his heart still pounding, and blood rushing through his ears. Finally. After all these years, he was going to be freed.
Then all hell broke loose.
Turned out, All Might somehow caught wind of the attack. A student broke through the communications blocker, or maybe it was Ingenium's brother who escaped earlier. Either way, All Might was there. Fighting the Nomu.
Izuku peeked out from behind the rubble to take in the scene. Tomura was getting increasingly frustrated, he could tell. He was looking around frantically—maybe for him—and trying to get the Nomu to kill All Might.
Eraserhead was… unconscious? He couldn't tell. The man had blood dripping from his head, and one of his arms looked mangled. Shit, did the Nomu get to him?
Then he saw All Might telling two of the students something. A green-haired girl and a boy with wild purple hair and a mask similar to Izuku's tried dragging their sensei out of the fray and to a safer spot for him to recover.
It felt as if the fighting went on forever. More students advanced on Tomura and Kurogiri, one with explosive hands finding Kurogiri's body and exploiting the weakness. A smart one.
Just when he thought the Nomu was gaining the upper hand on All Might, the number one hero hit the thing repeatedly, stretching past his limit and then, with one more punch, flinging it into the air and through the facility's roof.
Izuku barely remembered what happened next. All he knew was that stubborn Tomura didn't give up until he was physically stopped by a gunshot to the hand. Snipe. The heroes had arrived.
Tomura growled, shouting out Izuku's name before being forced to retreat. He let out his breath only when Kurogiri's portal disappeared.
Thinking it was over, Izuku stepped out from behind the rubble. Big mistake.
"You're not a 1-A student."
Izuku turned to see Midnight appraising him. Her usual flirty expression was turned into a frown.
"N-no. Actually, I—"
"Were you with them?" Coming to her own conclusions, she used her whip to wrap Izuku's hands together and tugged him towards the myriad of police cars that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"No, wait! I-I— Eraserhead said—"
"Shush! You're only a kid, so I bet you'd only get a warning," Midnight tutted. "Getting caught up in villainy is no good. Maybe this'll teach you a lesson. I'm sure your parents will be very disappointed, young man."
Izuku wanted to laugh hysterically at the last part, but he kept quiet. Nothing he could say would deter her.
He didn't fight it as Izuku was forced into the back of a police car and driven to what he assumed was the station. Maybe for questioning, maybe to be put in prison. Who knew. At least he was out of the League's hands. That's what mattered.
His trip to the police station went by in a blur. At one point, he was in the back of a police car, and then suddenly, he was being processed and thrown into a holding cell.
"Villain scum," the officer who threw him spat. He slammed the cell doors closed, leaving him with one last sneer.
Izuku sighed and scooted backwards until his back hit the wall. He brought his legs to his chest, resting his head on his knees. They must have taken off his mask and his weapons, because Izuku couldn't feel them, but at least he kept on his jumpsuit.
He didn't know how much time had passed since then.
Many officers came by to keep watch, most of them throwing out insults and jeers to get him to react. Unfortunately for them, though, Izuku was an expert at ignoring childish adults.
Sometime later, the cell door was being opened. Izuku lifted his head in time for two officers to grab his arms roughly and drag him to a stand. "Come on. Detective wants to talk to ya."
Izuku bristled, but he didn't struggle. He knew it would end badly if he tried.
He was taken to an interrogation room and forcefully sat in a chair. His hands were tightly cuffed to the table, and again, Izuku had to endure it.
And then, similarly to when he was in the holding cell, he waited. Izuku briefly wondered if this was an interrogation tactic: making him wait for an insufferably long time.
After what seemed like hours, but could've been minutes, the door opened and in walked a man with black hair, kind eyes, and a long, brown trenchcoat. He sat down on the other side of the table, a notepad and pen in his hand. He smiled apologetically.
"So sorry for the wait. I'm Detective Tsukauchi. What's your name?"
Izuku hesitated, then said, "Izuku." His voice was a little rough from disuse and lack of water.
"Izuku," the detective echoed. "Nice to meet you."
He didn't return the pleasantry.
Tsukauchi laughed awkwardly. "So, from what I know. You were at the USJ at the time of the attack. Is that correct?"
There was no point in refusing to answer. "Yes."
The man nodded and wrote something down. "Okay. And why were you there?"
Izuku swallowed, the action irritating his dry throat. "I was kidnapped by the League against my will years ago. They forced me to join their mission."
The detective's eyebrows shot up at the admission. "Oh. This— Okay. Wow. This changes… Well. Everything."
Izuku blew out a quiet breath and tilted his head down. He was exhausted. He had no guarantee that he would even believe him.
Just as he was about to resign to his fate, the detective said, "Shoot. I didn't inform you of my quirk, did I?"
Izuku wasn't sure why that was relevant, but he shook his head in response anyway.
"I call it 'Lie Detector.' I can tell if someone is lying or telling the truth when I ask them a question."
The words made Izuku freeze.
Not recognizing Izuku's reaction or not caring, the detective continued, "So far, I've only gotten the truth from you. And if what you've just told me is true…" Tsukauchi suddenly looked sad. "It implicates a lot."
Izuku didn't know what to say to that.
Tsukauchi sighed and leaned back in his chair. "If you're willing, I'd like to ask you—"
His words were interrupted by the door to the interrogation room slamming open. In the doorway was Eraserhead, and he looked angry.
"Sh— Eraser, you can't just barge in here! And aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?" Tsukauchi exclaimed.
Izuku gave the hero a once-over. He had a bandage wrapped around his forehead and a sling on his left arm, but that's all he could see. He found himself relaxing inadvertently, glad that the hero wasn't too injured.
"Recovery Girl healed what she could, and I didn't want to spend my day in the hospital. Especially not when I learned that this kid has been arrested like a criminal. He's not—"
"I know," Tsukauchi interjected. "We were actually just getting to that. Would you like to sit down?"
Eraserhead blinked, clearly surprised by his agreement. He nodded, shutting the door behind him and sitting in the chair next to him with a huff. His assessing gaze roamed over Izuku.
"Why's he still in cuffs if he's not a criminal?" Eraserhead asked.
"It was a precaution. One I took before learning the truth. My apologies, Izuku."
Tsukauchi came over to Izuku's side of the table. He barely hid a flinch at the detective's proximity.
A few seconds later, the cuffs were off, and Izuku immediately rubbed his wrists. They were red from the tightness of the cuffs. His scars felt as if they were burning from how badly they hurt from the pressure.
"Izuku?" Eraserhead spoke up. "Is that your name?"
He nodded in confirmation.
An air of seriousness suddenly overcame the hero, and he bowed his head. "I'm sorry for the mix-up, Izuku. I wasn't able to tell the heroes that you weren't a part of the villain group, and I came as quickly as I could once I heard the news."
Izuku felt uncomfortable with the hero apologizing to him. He didn't deserve it.
"It— It's fine," Izuku managed to say. Eraserhead looked like he wanted to argue, but let it go.
Tsukauchi sat back in his chair, picking up his notepad. "Izuku, you told me you were kidnapped years ago by the League. Do you remember how long ago?"
Eraserhead's eyes widened minutely in shock at the information before schooling it back to his usual blank expression.
"Yes, approximately nine years ago. I was six."
Again, that sad look appeared on Tsukauchi's face as he wrote down the information. "What about your parents? Do you think they reported you missing? Maybe I could find your file and get you back to them."
That hysterical feeling from earlier bubbled up in Izuku's throat, and he had to swallow it down. He was sure that blatantly laughing in the two's faces would not be a good look.
"My parents are dead. My dad was the one to hand me over to the villains in the first place," Izuku bluntly stated.
Tsukauchi's fingers twitched, and he gave Izuku a bewildered look. Eraserhead seemed tense.
"I'm sorry, Izuku, but could you elaborate? Only if you feel comfortable, of course. I'm sure this isn't an easy topic…" the detective trailed off, unsure.
Izuku shrugged. "My dad was upset that I wasn't presenting a quirk. He said he knew a guy who could help and dragged me and my mom to their base. Once I was in their hands, their leader, All for One, killed them on the spot. Then took me in."
Tsukauchi choked, causing Izuku to jump a little. "I'm sorry— You said 'All for One'?"
Izuku nodded slowly. "Yes…"
"He's alive?"
Oh. So that wasn't public knowledge?
Izuku clenched his trembling hands into fists, wondering if he'd done something wrong by how the detective reacted. He nervously glanced at Eraserhead, who only looked confused.
"All for One? Isn't he a myth?" the underground hero asked.
Tsukauchi pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a breath. "All Might will need to know about this. Are you sure?" He directed the last part to Izuku.
"Yes. I think I would remember who my kidnapper and torturer for the past nine years was," Izuku spat.
Immediately, he flinched backwards, reigning in his anger. He was so used to Tomura always questioning and doubting him that he responded snarkily without a second thought as to who he was actually speaking to.
"S-sorry. I'm— I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"
"It's fine," Tsukauchi said with a shaky smile. "I shouldn't have contested your word, especially with my quirk. It's just… It's hard to imagine. That's all. Nothing to do with you."
"I-if it helps," Izuku continued, swallowing past the lump in his throat, "he's been in hiding for the past few years. Even with my… closeness to them, I didn't know why. He never mentioned it. Neither did Shigaraki."
"Shigaraki?" Tsukauchi perked up again, writing down what he was saying. "Is that one of the villains who was at the USJ?"
"Yes. Shigaraki Tomura. The other one was Kurogiri. I-I can provide anything you need on them."
"That's very helpful, Izuku, but for now, I think I'll focus on some other things."
Izuku took a deep breath, exhaling unevenly. If he wasn't useful to the heroes, what would come of him…
"Just to be sure, you were with the villains against your will? You didn't want to attack the USJ, the heroes, or the 1-A students?" Tsukauchi repeated.
"Is this necessary?" Eraserhead cut in before Izuku could speak. "He told you what happened."
"Unfortunately, yes. I need to have everything on paper so that the chief doesn't prosecute him for something he didn't do. So, Izuku? Can you please answer my question?"
Izuku nodded eagerly. "I w-was with them against my will. I didn't want to be at the USJ, o-or attack any heroes or students."
Tsukauchi's eyebrow twitched, and the man frowned. "I'm sorry, Izuku, but it seems like one of your statements wasn't entirely truthful."
He froze at the implication, and he rushed to explain. "I mean, I wanted to be at the USJ, b-but not for the reasons you think!"
Tsukauchi only nodded for him to go ahead.
"I heard th-they were doing a raid on the USJ once Shigaraki got the itinerary from UA. I wasn't even supposed t-to be going, but All for One changed his mind and told Shigaraki to take me. Then he told me to do an analysis on all the heroes attending the USJ so that they would know who they were up against.
"W-when I got to you, Eraserhead, I… I knew I had to take my chance. T-to escape. I-I've tried before, and I failed each time, but this was different. When I read about you, Eraserhead, I knew you might help me. It was a big 'what if', but I was sure that I could go to you. That's why I wanted to go… So I could get my chance at finally being rid of All for One and Shigaraki."
Izuku felt out of breath after explaining, and he hoped Tsukauchi would understand his predicament. Eraserhead was hard to read, even with his observational skills, but he didn't seem upset. At least, Izuku hoped not.
Eventually, the underground hero asked, "Why were you so sure I'd help you?"
"I came across many stories from UA students who were expelled by you. Um, after reading through them, I gathered that you weren't doing it for no reason. You were doing it because, despite what many of them think, you care. And a lot of the people who complained came back and updated, saying that you offered them a spot in the general courses so that they could work their way back up if you deemed them fit.
"I… I don't know. Like I said, it was a very big risk I was taking. All for One wasn't exactly… kind… when it came to my escape attempts. I thought you would listen. A-and you did."
Izuku wrung his hands together, letting the pain ground him. He couldn't tell what Eraserhead was thinking. The man had his face buried into the scarf around his neck, and his eyes were narrowed.
Then, Tsukauchi laughed, breaking the tension. "Aw, Eraser. You are a softy."
Eraserhead grunted, "Shut it."
Izuku couldn't tell if he was joking, but he must have been, because Tsukauchi kept laughing. Much to Eraserhead's disapproval.
"Anyways, Izuku, I'm glad you cleared that up," Tsukauchi said once he stopped laughing. "You won't be charged with anything. Actually, I think you will be offered protection. If the League finds out you escaped successfully, you could be in danger."
Protection? Izuku wasn't sure if he could trust it.
"It's… You don't have to do that. I-I think I'd be better off put in prison or… or even Tartarus. It will keep me away from them," Izuku suggested.
Going into this, Izuku already suspected he would be put in prison anyway. A quirkless kid hanging around villains? Yeah, good luck getting out of that.
Yet now, seeing how understanding and willing to listen this detective was, and the fact that he didn't even linger on the part where Izuku admitted he was quirkless, maybe he could get out of it. But did he want to? He had no parents to go to; where would they put him? It seemed like the only logical answer.
Tsukauchi, though, for some reason, looked stricken at the thought. "We are not putting a child in Tartarus. Or prison. That wouldn't even be our last resort."
Eraserhead sighed. "I agree. That's not humane in any sense of the word. I'll call Nezu. He can figure something out for the kid."
Before Izuku could ask what that meant, Eraserhead was already walking out of the room, phone in hand. Now he sat alone with Tsukauchi.
Neither of them knew what to say, so they sat in awkward silence. Izuku was fine with that. He didn't feel like talking anymore, anyway.
After a few minutes, Tsukauchi stood from his chair. "I'm gonna see what's taking so long. And hand over my report. I'll be back soon."
With that, Tsukauchi left. Izuku sighed and slumped against the chair, feeling relaxed for the first time since the USJ. He couldn't believe he was finally out.
Izuku closed his eyes and let himself savour the peace and quiet for whatever short time he had.
Finally, after a little while, the door to the interrogation room opened again. Izuku sat up straight and looked over to see Tsukauchi and Eraserhead walk in. On second look, though, Izuku noticed a small white figure sitting in the latter's scarf. An animal with a scar running through the right eye.
The animal grinned, his countenance generally cheerful, it looked like. "Hello there! I am Principal Nezu, who could be a mouse or a rat or a bear! More importantly, I am here to talk to you, Izuku. I must say, your situation has sparked my interest."
Izuku thought he looked more like a stoat, but he kept that opinion to himself.
Now that he saw him in person, Izuku vaguely recalled reading about the UA principal before: an animal with a heightened intelligence quirk. He would have to be more cautious around him.
When he realized he hadn't answered the principal yet, he cleared his throat. "N-nice to meet you, Nezu-san."
"Please, just Nezu is fine. From what I've heard correctly, you were a captive of All for One for nine years?"
Izuku nodded.
"Oh, dear. That must have been hard to deal with." His words didn't seem sincere, but Izuku wasn't offended.
"You could say that."
Nezu inclined his head. "I have a proposition for you, Izuku. If you're willing to listen."
Did he have a choice? Izuku held back a sigh and nodded. "I'm willing."
"I would like to offer you a place in UA. Not as a student, not quite. But more as an apprentice. Under Eraserhead."
Izuku frowned, not exactly understanding his words. "An… apprentice?"
"Indeed! I have been thinking of starting a villain rehabilitation program at UA for some time, yet you're not exactly a villain, regardless of being surrounded by them for years. With your situation, along with Eraserhead's interest in you, I think it would be a great idea. And, I think I have solved your living situation as well."
Biting back his reservations with the idea, Izuku asked, "How?"
"By staying with Eraserhead!" Nezu exclaimed as if it were a genius idea.
Izuku tensed again, immediately shaking his head. Eraserhead looked shocked. So it definitely wasn't run by him first.
"Nezu, is that really such a great idea—"
"Of course, it is, Aizawa."
Even though Izuku was opposed to the idea, he couldn't explain the hurt he felt at the hero's refusal.
"Do I get a say in this?" Izuku asked, an edge of indignation in his tone.
Nezu smiled wider. "Why of course. What do you think?"
"I think that it's a terrible idea. I don't like the League, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't mean I want to be in a hero school, either. They're all going to know I was there and treat me as a villain anyway. And I don't plan on becoming a hero. So why would I be an apprentice under Eraserhead?"
Izuku's chest was heaving by the end of his objections, trying to hide how terrified he was at challenging the principal of UA.
After a moment of tense silence, Nezu asked, "What would you propose instead?"
Izuku faltered slightly, not expecting the question to be turned on him. He shrugged. "W-what I said earlier. I was already expecting to be put in prison or something, so… why not?"
Eraserhead opened his mouth to say something, but Nezu held up a paw, causing the hero to clamp his mouth shut.
"Even if we were to agree to that, our prisons, as unfortunate as it is to say, are susceptible to break-ins. In fact, many villains have escaped over the past few months," Nezu informed pointedly. Tsukauchi looked away sheepishly. "And even a high-security prison like Tartarus is not infallible."
Izuku hated to admit that he was right. Kurogiri could easily find out where Izuku was and open a portal to take him. The mere thought terrified him. He would do anything to stay away from All for One.
"UA just had a security breach… How can you promise it's any safer?" Izuku argued. It was a weak defence, and Nezu knew it. He indulged Izuku's question anyway.
"That has already been rectified, and I am installing more security measures so that something like that doesn't happen again. I promise you, Izuku, UA would be the most secure place to keep hidden from the League of Villains."
Giving up on excuses, Izuku deflated. "Why are you doing this?" he whispered, almost half-expecting not to be heard and subsequently leaving the question unanswered.
Surprisingly, Nezu's eyes appeared to soften infinitesimally, and he addressed his concern, "Because that's what heroes are for, Izuku-kun. They help those who are in need."
It seemed simple, really. To someone like Izuku, though, whose faith in heroes had dwindled the longer he stayed in AFO's hands, it felt like an empty promise.
Izuku gripped his pant legs, thinking it over. He really had no other choice. If he wanted to stay away from All for One, he would have to be surrounded instead by heroes and hero students alike, watching his every move and judging him. It seemed like he would also have to live with one of those heroes.
What else could he really do? Run away? Then he was more vulnerable. He had to do it, even if he would hate it the whole way through.
His shoulders slumped, and he didn't look Nezu in the eye when he reluctantly agreed to the offer.
Nezu clapped his paws together ecstatically. "Great!"
Izuku tuned out the rest of whatever he was saying. It was probably only the logistics of things, like how Izuku would suddenly become an apprentice, how he would be settled into Eraserhead's home, things like that.
He was shaken out of his thoughts by a voice. "Kid."
Izuku looked up to see Eraserhead squatting in front of him, Nezu noticeably absent from his place in the scarf. "Are you alright?"
The question made his hands twitch uncomfortably. He clenched them back into fists when he noticed the hero staring at them, and he held them close to his stomach. No. I am far from alright. "Yes."
Eraserhead's eyes flickered back to Izuku's. "Let's go, then. My partner is waiting outside the station."
Partner? Great, so not only was he impeding on Eraserhead's life, but also his partner's. Izuku couldn't feel like more of a burden in that moment.
Regardless, Izuku stood up on shaky legs and followed the hero out of the police station, ignoring everyone's eyes on him.
Izuku wasn't quite sure yet if he had traded one prison for another. Only time would tell.