Facing the Truth
Katsuki was anxious as shit as he waited for Izuku to contact him. He still wasn't a good enough hacker to get into the police system to see if they got there on time or if Izuku got away or not. So he had to sit there and stew, each minute dragging on for eternity. In the end, it took almost forty minutes before Izuku texted, I'm ok. answering questions. text later.
"Shit." Katsuki set his phone down with a sigh. At least Izuku wasn't dead, but getting grilled by the police couldn't be a good thing. Kicking the cubical wall in frustration, he scrubbed his hands through his hair. Fuck, he hated waiting! —
— Both the acid and tongue guy had been arrested. The girl had gone to the hospital, but the police weren't letting Izuku go. Officially, he'd come to the station voluntarily to answer questions, but the police had made it clear it wasn't really an option. He was just too suspicious. What was a fourteen-year-old dressed and armed the way he was doing in that alley, next to a bar, so late at night? To make it worse, Izuku wouldn't tell them his name.
He'd told them honestly what had happened in the alley, but he refused to say anything about why he'd been there. Nothing would really explain his clothes, mask, the rope in his bag, and the taser, so he said nothing. He just repeated the story of the fight. He told them when they took him in, and he told it again in the police car. Then he'd told the story a third time at the station in a small interrogation room eerily similar to the one he'd been in after the Alleyway Child-Killer.
Frustrated, the officer left him in the interrogation room and Izuku finally had the chance to use his phone. (He'd been worried if he brought it out where the officers could see, they would take it.) He immediately texted Kacchan, knowing his boyfriend was going out of his mind with worry. Then he bit the bullet and called All Might. It went to voicemail. Of course it did. It was almost three in the morning at this point. Izuku pressed redial. Voicemail. End call. Redial. Voicemail. End call. Redial.
"Hello," a voice said calmly from the doorway. "Mind if I come in?"
Voicemail. End call. Izuku looked up and his eyes widened. It was the detective from the Child-Killer case! Izuku felt the blood drain from his face because this guy knew exactly who he was.
"My name is Detective Tsukauchi." The man gave him a friendly smile. He looked the exact same (rectangular black eyes and slicked back hair) except this time he had on a tan overcoat over a white button-down and tie, but his face and body posture were still open and friendly. "May I sit with you?"
Izuku swallowed hard. "Uh? Yes?"
The detective's smile grew a little wider and he took the seat opposite Izuku. "So." He folded his hands before him on the table. There were no files with him this time. Izuku stared at him, petrified. "How are you feeling? Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"
Izuku shook his head.
"I'd like to ask you a few questions, but I have to tell you that my quirk is called True Man, which gives me a feel for when something's not true. Also, since we assume you are a minor, if at any time you would like to use your phone there to call your parents, you can. Okay?"
Izuku began to frown. Did the detective not remember him? Izuku really, really doubted it. So… what was the man doing? Was it a trick? A mind game? Some high level police interrogation technique? Sweat rolled down Izuku's pale face.
As friendly as if they were talking over some fries at a fast-food restaurant, the detective said, "I know it's a pain and you've told your side of the story quite a few times already, but I just got here and it would be quicker to hear it from you than to read a report another officer typed up. Would you mind telling me one more time about the fight in the alley?"
Izuku had no reason not to tell him. He'd said it enough, as the detective had pointed out, and it was all true. He retold the story of the fight in the alley from start to finish, hiding nothing.
Detective Tsukauchi nodded as if everything Izuku had said was perfectly reasonable. "That was a really brave thing to do, trying to help that poor girl."
Izuku began to breathe fast. His hand tightened around his phone, making it creak. "I-Is she okay?"
The detective's expression became serious. "I don't have a current report, but from what I understand she was getting the best treatment possible."
Izuku nodded, feeling sick. Had she been exposed to too much acid? Had all of this been for nothing?
"Did you know those two men?"
Izuku shook his head, not making eye contract. There was a long silence and Izuku looked up to see the detective staring at him, head tilted almost curiously. Izuku subconsciously made himself smaller.
"Is there a reason you're so afraid of me?" the detective asked quietly, all soft concern. "Are you in trouble? I know it doesn't seem like it, and I'm sure you've been told a million times to never trust the police, but I want you to know…" He held Izuku's gaze earnestly. "You really can trust me. I won't let anything hurt you. Even if it means taking you into my home and guarding you twenty-four seven, I would do it."
Fat tears rolled down Izuku's face and the detective immediately got up and came around the table. He put a hand on Izuku's shoulder and crouched down so they would still be eye level. "What can I do for you?" he asked quietly.
Izuku's eyes darted to the mirror that took up a good portion of one wall. "C-Can we t-talk in p-private?"
Detective Tsukauchi searched Izuku's eyes for a long second and then he nodded. He stood up, tilting his head to the door. "Let's go for a walk."
Shocked that the detective had actually complied, Izuku followed the man back into the police station with his head ducked nervously. A few officers protested, but Detective Tsukauchi just waved them away or gave them a friendly smile and kept walking. He led Izuku to the fire stairs and they went up five floors before coming out on the roof. The detective led him to a bench that sat a good distance from the door.
"It's illegal to have recording devices here, and even if there were, the wind would make anything we say unintelligible," the detective explained. He sat on the bench and patted the seat next to him. "I swear anything you say up here will only be heard by me, okay?"
Izuku hesitated - his mother's frightened voice screaming in his mind - but he also had Kacchan's angry voice telling him that he had to tell someone, that the people in his visions needed more help then they could give - but louder than all of that was the pained, terrified sobs of the girl who'd been raped in that dirty alley. The guilt of sitting there, letting it happen were like hot claws piercing his chest!
Izuku didn't make it to the bench. His legs folded under him and he began to cry. Wide-eyed, the detective knelt next to him, his hand warm on Izuku's back. He didn't interrupt once as Izuku explained disjointed and out of order about his quirk - about trying to save people - about his mother warning him to tell no one - his fear of being taken away because of his visions - his burning need to be a hero - growing up with people thinking he was quirkless - miraculously getting into UA - It all just spilled from him, but not a word about All Might, One For All, or Kacchan passed his lips. Even half out of his mind, he would never betray them.
Detective Tsukauchi listened without interrupting, his presence warm and solid. When Izuku ran out of words if not tears, the detective took his overcoat off and wrapped it around Izuku as he helped him to his feet.
Izuku was completely drained and petrified now that he'd told his secret, but Detective Tsukauchi didn't say anything. He merely guided Izuku back to the stairwell, through the station, and out. They walked across the parking lot to a parked car. The detective opened the passenger side door and gently pushed Izuku into the seat before shutting the door and walking around to the other side.
As he started the car, the detective finally spoke, saying, "I want you to know you made the right choice. You're secret is safe with me, Izuku. You're not in trouble. I just need to speak to someone and I think that would help you, too, okay?"
Izuku nodded numbly, tears still falling down his cheeks. He rubbed his arms, feeling all the coils of his ropes, but it was barely enough. His breath still came fast and his heart fluttered like a trapped bird in a cage. Needing grounding, he turned his phone over and opened it to text.
.
Izuku:
Told Detective Tsukauchi. feel like i can trust him
he took me on roof so no one else could hear
now driving away from station
.
Kacchan:
WTF! You got in his car?
.
Izuku:
had to
please Kacchan
.
Kacchan:
I'm fucking tracking your phone.
don't let them take it or i really will fucking kill you
.
Izuku:
K
.
Kacchan:
no matter what i'd find you
i'd bust you out of anywhere
.
Izuku bit his lip as fresh sobs welled up. He texted, love you too, and then he let the screen go dark. He lifted his head to see they were driving back in the direction of his district, and he looked over at the detective wearily. "Are you taking me home?"
"Eventually," the detective said kindly. "But not yet." He glanced over. "Is that okay?"
Izuku didn't know if it was or not. He stared back, anxious.
"I think it would be best if you came with me," Detective Tsukauchi explained. "But if you really don't feel up to it, I will take you home."
Reassured by the promise, Izuku gave in. "Okay."
The detective gave him a warm smile and reached over to ruffle his hair. "Thank you. I promise your trust won't be misplaced."
Izuku slumped against the door, exhausted. In fact, he must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew the detective was shaking his shoulder. Izuku peered out the window to see they were parked in a parking lot in front of an apartment building, but it wasn't his. This apartment complex was further north, closer to UA.
"Come on," Tsukauchi said with a smile. "Everything's going to be okay."
Izuku nodded and climbed out of the car. The sky was that pale grey of pre-dawn, sunrise less than an hour away. It was the start of the second week of March so it was cold, but Izuku was still wearing the detective's overcoat so he was warm.
The apartment building was much nicer than Izuku's. It had automatic doors with big green ferns on either side and a nice lobby. They took an elevator up whereas at Izuku's apartment you had to use stairs that were built on the outside of the building. When the elevator doors opened, it revealed deep red carpet lining the hallway and golden light fixtures. Even the number plaque for each door was gold or gold plated.
Tsukauchi stopped at door eleven and knocked firmly.
"It's pretty early," Izuku ventured.
Tsukauchi smiled. "That's okay. He won't mind."
The door opened and Izuku's mouth fell open. Toshinori in his skeletal form opened the door, his hair standing every which way with bedhead. "Tsukauchi?" his mentor said, sleepy and confused. "Midoriya?"
"Good morning, Yagi. May we come in?"
Izuku's heart slammed against his ribs. He had no idea All Might lived so close by, but it made sense, didn't it? UA owned most of the district above them. Besides the school, there were commercial properties and such, but not a lot of residential areas. They didn't want too many people living close to the school for safety reasons, so you had to find something the next district over, Izuku's district, if you were looking for a place to live… Izuku realized he was babbling nervously in his head and forced himself to focus.
All Might's apartment was simply furnished. A blue couch, dark wood floors, a wooden coffee table, a decent sized tv. There were small landscape paintings hanging on the wall. Tsukauchi gently guided Izuku to the couch and brought him a glass of water. Toshiniori asked what this was all about, but Tsukauchi asked him to wait a minute as he got Izuku settled.
"I have to talk to Yagi for a minute, but we'll be right back, okay?"
"Okay…" Izuku said, unsure and wide-eyed.
Then the two men disappeared down the hallway. Izuku heard a door shut. He sat there, confused for a minute, just holding his water. Then he set it down and pulled out his phone.
.
Izuku:
at Toshinori's house
Tsukauchi is friends with him?
.
Kacchan:
wtf? that's crazy!
at least you're safe
.
Izuku:
i feel like i'm dreaming
is this real?
.
The phone rang immediately. Izuku answered the call and held the phone to his ear.
"Deku." Kacchan's voice came low and steady over the line.
Izuku realized he was breathing hard and on the verge of a panic attack.
"What's it like?" Kacchan asked, trying to ground him.
"Normal?" Izuku looked around. "A lot more subdued than I imagined it would be." He gave an anxious laugh, still breathing hard.
"I saved my guy," Kacchan told him. "He's perfectly fine and the asshole thug got arrested."
Some of Izuku's tension drained out. His heart began to calm. "Thank god. Thank you, Kacchan. You're really amazing."
"The trains are running again. I'll meet you back at your apartment. Remember to breathe and tighten your ropes if you need to."
"I love you," Izuku said softly, tears in his eyes.
"You got this, Deku," he answered and the phone clicked off.
Izuku felt much better after hearing Kacchan's voice. He drank his water and breathed deeply for a few minutes. He even took off the overcoat and his hoodie to tighten the ropes on his arms like Kacchan had suggested. Then he waited, and he fidgeted. Eventually he got up and looked closer at the paintings. They were really calming, done in blues and greens, water and trees, but blurred like an impressionist painting.
Izuku heard a door down the hallway finally open and practically dove back onto the couch. Heart hammering again, he watched wide-eyed as Toshinori came walking out into the living room with Tsukauchi following after. Toshinori stood awkwardly just looking at Izuku, his head bowed slightly forward, looking upset.
"Sorry about that," the detective told Izuku with a smile, looking calm and relaxed.
He went to the kitchen to grab two chairs from around the dinning room table and sat them on the other side of the coffee table facing Izuku, blocking the tv. Not that it was on, but Izuku began to get nervous as the two men sat facing him, and he was seriously getting worried about All Might being so silent.
"I bet you were surprised," the detective said, drawing Izuku's anxious gaze. "I met Yagi quite a few years back and we became pretty good friends."
Toshinori spoke up then. His voice was quiet, subdued. "Tsukauchi helped me keep my identity a secret and helped keep the media away from the fight where I received this wound." He touched his side where the crater was.
"Oh." Izuku didn't know what to say.
"Yagi told me about the amazing young man he'd taken on as his successor, and when I heard your story about getting help training for the UA entrance exam, I put two and two together," Tsukauchi explained with a smile. "I think both you and Yagi need to talk about a few things. You guys are supposed to be a team, and that's not what's happening here. I believe that needs to change or one of you will get hurt."
"I agree," Toshinori said, voice grave. His blue eyes brighter for surrounded by black instead of white looked at Izuku sadly. "I've been distracted and my priorities haven't been where they need to be. You called me last night and I didn't answer. You were in danger and I wasn't there for you. That is not how a mentor behaves. My mentor would never have been so unreachable, and I am deeply sorry. My only explanation is that I have never had a family of my own. I am not used to being responsible for another person. I hope you can forgive me."
Izuku practically babbled reassurances, but Toshinori held up one of his large hands.
"No. Do not make excuses or forgive me so easily," he said seriously. "You have been my fan for a long time and I think that makes you more accommodating than you should be. You need to be more open about your needs, Midoriya, or how can I possibly succeed at being your mentor?"
Izuku sat frozen. He had no idea what to say. All Might had already done so much. It felt like the worst kind of ungratefulness to ask for more.
"Tsukauchi told me that you were pulled in for questioning in regards to an assault," Toshinori looked at the detective for confirmation and received a nod. He looked back at Izuku, concern clear on his features. "Will you tell me what happened?"
Izuku swallowed hard. He looked down at his hands, which were clenched on his knees, and saw the red ropes that spiraled up his arms and disappeared under the sleeves of his black t-shirt.
Why was this so hard? He'd already told Tsukauchi about his quirk, but he'd been hysterical at the time. This felt different, but he wasn't about to let fear rule his life. He knew this was the right thing to do, and no matter how terrifying it felt, Izuku was going to push himself forward. So Izuku closed his eyes and swallowed the paralyzing fear. Opening them again, he met his hero's piercing gaze.
"It started when I was three or so. I had these dreams when I was awake. The first one was about a neighborhood dog and a few weeks later it came true. Then I saw that disaster where you saved a thousand people by yourself before it happened. That's when my mom figured it out." Sweat rolled down his neck and his hands shook, but Izuku pushed on. "She told me if I told anyone I would get taken away and never see her again. She made me promise not to tell anyone and registered me as quirkless."
"That must have been very difficult," Tsukauchi said gently.
Izuku shrugged, shoulders stiff. "About a year after that, I had a vision of a teacher killing one of my classmates. I… I had never known the victim before, not that well, and I was really upset." His eyes suddenly gleamed with determination. "I had to save him!"
"This is the event Bakugou told me about?" Tsukauchi asked, carefully. "With my quirk, I can tell you are leaving something out. I assume it is him?"
Izuku flushed red. Even when he'd been been called out, he hesitated.
"If you are this unsure about trusting me, then Tsukauchi is right. I have done a poor job as a mentor," Toshinori said sadly. He leaned forward, forearms resting on his thighs. "I have not been there for you the way I should have been, but, Midoriya, you can trust me."
Izuku slumped in defeat. "I… I was frightened, and I didn't have a quirk, so I asked Kacchan to help me. He was the strongest kid in class with the strongest quirk. He agreed and came up with the plan and we were able to save Tamachan. Afterward, we made a promise to work together to save the people I saw in my visions, but it took another year before we were able to save anyone. I mean, we were little and hadn't seen much of the city, so I often didn't recognize the places I dreamed about, but Kacchan inspired me to get smarter, stronger, and we worked even harder. I started riding around on my bike, getting to know as many places as I could. Then… we started trying to rescue people."
"That answers the question of the vigilante in the area," Tsukauchi gave Izuku a wry smile. "We've been trying to catch him for years."
Izuku didn't think it was funny. All he could think about was all the people he hadn't been smart enough to save. He shook his head and rubbed his hands over his ropes.
"Midoriya…" Toshinori said softly. "Talk to me."
Izuku looked up, tears in his eyes. "I failed to save so many people…" he confessed. "Dozens."
Toshinori got up and sat next to Izuku on the couch, draping an arm over his shoulders. "Izuku…" he said, using the teen's first name for the first time. "You cannot save everyone…"
Izuku turned his face away in rejection, but Toshinori squeezed his shoulder hard enough it brought Izuku's eyes back to his mentor's.
"But you save everyone you can," his mentor said fiercely, neon blue eyes piercing through him.
Izuku's breath caught.
"You can't save everyone, but you save everyone you can," All Might repeated. "Do you understand?"
Izuku nodded, tears rolling down his cheeks. And he did. He had to keep working hard. He had to keep getting stronger so that everyone he could save would be everyone who needed saving. "Yes," he said tearfully.
"Good." Toshinori gave him a smile. "So what happened tonight?"
Izuku looked carefully at Tsukauchi. "Well…"
"It's okay. He knows about One For All," Toshinori assured him, guessing what was holding Izuku back.
Izuku explained about the amped up visions and the dark place with the warm male voice. When he finished, he looked up to see his hero's reaction. "Was that real? Was One For All really talking to me?"
Toshinori was frowning. "I haven't experienced anything like that, but that doesn't mean what you felt wasn't real. One For All is still a mystery in many ways because it has been kept secret. From what I understand, One For All typically amplifies the strength and quirk of the user, so if I had Bakugou's explosion quirk it would become so powerful as to blow up entire buildings or allow him to use it in a new amplified way. Because I did not have a quirk, One For All manifested as simply amplified strength and resilience. As it seems to have also done for you as your quirk doesn't have a physical manifestation, but your quirk was definitely amplified, too, so it is possible."
"What what did it mean One For All's true purpose?" Izuku asked, but Toshinori didn't answer.
The hero looked at Tsukauchi with a frown before saying, "We will discuss that later." Looking back to Izuku, he said, "I promise I will reveal more to you later, but right now I want you to focus on harnessing One For All before you worry about anything else."
Izuku was disappointed, but he understood.
"Right now I'm more concerned about your visions," Tsukauchi cut in. "Saving people is important, but it's just as important that you and Bakugou stay safe so that you can reach your full potential."
"Yes," Toshinori agreed. "Let Tsukauchi and I handle the rescues from now on. Right now is the time for you to give your all to training. These rescues have eaten into a lot of your time and have put you at great risk. If Tsukauchi hadn't stepped in, you would still be at the police station and the secret of One For All would have been in danger."
Izuku looked from one to the other. "You don't understand. I have to save them," he said, voice tense with emotion.
"And they will be saved," Toshinori promised fiercely. "Trust me in that."
"My quirk allows me to sense the truth, but it also prevents me from out-right lying," the detective added. "If I explain to my superiors that I have a reliable source, they will believe me. We can stop the attacks before the victim gets hurt and still hold the perpetrator responsible."
Izuku felt his breath catch as sobs rose up to choke him. That girl tonight… The way the killer had dissolved her clothes and called her such horrible things… The way he'd kicked her legs open and violated her… The detective and All Might could have saved her that agony… As maddening as it felt to let go, to give up on the rescues, how could he possibly say no?
"O-okay…" he rasped.
Toshinori transformed into his hero form and pulled Izuku into a hug. "I can't imagine what you've been through, young man, or how hard you've pushed yourself until now, but I do know how hard it is to trust others. I promise you, Izuku, I will be here for you and I will not let you down again. I will give it my all to save everyone I can. And from now on… We will be proper partners. I will not be so neglectful again."
…
Katsuki was sitting on the first step of Izuku's apartment building. He was exhausted and his face fucking hurt like fuck, but he couldn't go home. Not until he saw Izuku safe with his own eyes.
As if summoned by his thoughts, he heard a car door shut. He stood up and saw Izuku walking up the sidewalk. He looked completely wiped, but his eyes widened when he spotted Katsuki. "You're face!" he exclaimed and practically tripped over his own feet to get to Katsuki faster.
"It's just a black eye," he grumbled irritably. "How'd it go?"
Izuku sighed, deflating. "Told them everything. They want us to stop the rescues and promised between the two of them they'd save all the people in my visions."
Katsuki felt a rush of relief. "Good."
Izuku took his hand. "Come on. We'll sleep here."
Katsuki was too tired to answer. He simply trudged after him up the stairs. "Was he mad?"
"All Might?" Izuku shook his head. "No. I think Detective Tsukauchi said something to him because they talked for a long time, and when they came out, All Might apologized for being a bad mentor. Can you believe it?"
Katsuki had nothing to say to that because, yeah, he could. He'd grown less and less impressed with All Might as the months went by.
Inko had already gone to work at this point, so they didn't have to be careful or quiet. Izuku grabbed a bag of frozen carrots from the freezer and handed them to Katsuki, then they both used the bathroom to wash up and changed before practically collapsing on Izuku's bed.
"No more splitting up," Katsuki grumbled, eyes already closed. "That fucking sucked ass."
Izuku steadied the carrots on Katsuki's face. "No more splitting up," he echoed.
"We stay together," he slurred before falling into an exhausted sleep.
End -
A/n: Sooooo….. wonder what Tsukauchi told All Might? Toshinori definitely got scolded. I was actually thinking about writing that scene, but I thought it would be more true to the story to stick to Izuku's and Katsuki's perspective the way I have so far. Let me know what you think of how Izuku's secret came out!