Flare Signal
chapter fourteen

The next day at school was hectic. As Izuku approached the school, he found a large crowd gathering outside and wondered curiously at it.

"Hey, you, plain-looking kid!"

A microphone was shoved into Izuku's face.

"What's it like being taught by All Might?"

"All Might! All Might!"

"We demand a statement."

"Uhh…" Izuku said, coming up blank. All Might being a teacher wasn't exactly news, but the attention was probably because the school year had just started. Perfect time to get a scoop.

"Akatani!"

"Uraraka," Izuku called, catching his friend in the crowd of reporters.

"Come on, tell us a little something!"

"Is All Might actually here?"

Izuku wanted to melt into the floor. He didn't like reporters. They asked too many questions and had too many cameras.

Then came the peppering sound of explosions.

"Out of my way, fuckers!"

"Aaand there's Kacchan," Izuku muttered under his breath as Kacchan blew his way through the crowd, temporarily scattering people.

"Get out," someone said flatly, raising his voice over the din. Izuku clung to the voice like an anchor—Eraserhead.

"All Might isn't here and won't be here to answer your questions," Eraserhead continued. He stepped through the crowd, one hand pushing past people. Fingers wrapped around Izuku's wrist and pulled him closer; he stumbled forwards as Eraserhead put Izuku behind him and into the U.A. gates.

Somewhere in the crowd, Izuku thought he saw a familiar face. A flash of blue hair. A shiver ran up his spine as the reporters continued to call out questions and demands, and though Izuku looked, he couldn't find the person he'd seen again.

His imagination. It had to have been.

"Who are you?"

"Come on," someone called. "Show us All Might!"

"All Might may be a pro hero, but he has a job and isn't someone for you to gawk at. You're disrupting our students and staff, and I'm going to ask you all to leave."

"Akatani!"

Uraraka had broken through the crowd to stand by Izuku's side. Her face was tinged pink.

"Get to class, you two," Eraserhead told them, without looking back.

Eraserhead let go of Izuku's wrist and leaned forward into one of the reporters' microphones.

Then he said, clear enough for everyone to hear, "Get out."

"Come on," Izuku whispered to Uraraka. She took his hand and pulled him across campus, the two of them fleeing quickly from the swarming reporters.

"It's good we have that security, huh?"

"Y-yeah," Izuku said, forcing out a laugh. "It's that infamous U.A. Barrier."

"I read about it," Uraraka said as they walked to class together. She let go of his hand. "Supposedly it's super high-tech. It'll shut out anyone who isn't a student or staff member, or here and registered in the systems."

"Cool," Izuku said, because it was. His heart hadn't stopped pounding, though. Who had he seen, in the crowd?

"Wonder what we're doing today."

"Yeah…"

It turned out it was time to pick a class president. Which was—

"So… normal?"

"You can choose one however you like," Eraserhead told them. "Just don't be too disruptive."

"We should have a vote," Iida said immediately when it was clear Eraserhead was finished. "If one person comes out with more than one vote, then it's clear they deserve to be class president, if they have the support!"

"Good call, good call."

Many of Izuku's classmates were probably going to pick themselves— it was, of course, a way to stand out. Izuku didn't really want to stand out, nor did he want to help be in charge of a bunch of other teenagers his age, so he put someone he thought would be good at it.

Then the results came out.

"Nope," Izuku said, staring at the board. "No. Nuh-uh. No way, not happening."

"Dude," Kirishima called from across the classroom. "You got the votes, man, get up there."

Izuku got up, but his legs felt like lead as he walked to the front of the classroom.

"No, no, no, absolutely not," Izuku muttered once he was up there. "Why would you guys vote for me, this is the worst—"

"Akatani as class president and Yaoyorozu as vice," Eraserhead said from his corner. "Very well. Now get to work. You still have a reading to do."

Izuku liked Yaoyorozu—she was clearly smart and very adaptable, and she seemed calm, standing in front of the class next to him.

"Congratulations, Akatani," she said quietly, smiling at him. "I look forward to working with you."

Izuku swallowed hard. "You, too."

At lunch, Izuku slammed his tray down hard enough to send a little soup out of his bowl. Uraraka looked up, concerned.

"I can't be class president."

"You'll be great!"

"No, no," Izuku said. "I'm, I'm actually, like, the least qualified to be class president? Why am I class president. I can't."

And then everyone would follow him, would see him, would trust him.

"No," Izuku said again.

"I don't know why you're so opposed to it," Iida said, sighing. "I- I admit I was hoping for the position, but you are very capable, Akatani! In fact, I voted for you. You've shown yourself already as someone with remarkable character, and I'm sure you'll be a great class president."

"Hear, hear," Uraraka chimed in. "I voted for you, too! You're already such a great hero—"

"Guys," Izuku whined, picking at his food. "I really don't… I voted for you, Iida, I thought you'd be perfect for the job."

Iida pushed up his glasses. "I'm flattered," he said, "but you are the better between us!"

"Iida, no," Uraraka said, "you would've—"

Desperate to change the subject, Izuku blurted, "So who's your brother?"

Two sets of eyes flickered to Izuku's face. "Huh?"

Izuku ducked his head, blushing.

"Before the Battle Trial, you were talking about your brother. Pro hero, right? Which one?"

Iida straightened in his seat. The effect of mentioning his brother was immediate, like someone had cast a glow around Iida.

"I'm from the hero Iida family," Iida announced proudly, all signs of disappointment from before gone. "You see, my family has a long history of being involved in heroics, passing down our Quirks. My older brother is the pro hero Ingenium! I— I aspire to be a hero like him. He's the best I know."

"Aww, Iida!"

"That's really cool, Iida," Izuku said, "wow… must be amazing to come from a family like that."

"I'm very proud to be," Iida said, "and I hope I can be just as good, if not better…"

He was cut off by a loud wailing sound.

"...Sirens?" Izuku asked, exchanging a look with his friends. "Why, what's going on?"

The entire cafeteria exploded into chaos. Izuku cried out as he was separated from his friends in the sea of bodies, pressed tight between people.

"Akatani!"

"Iida! Iida!"

"What's going on?"

Swallowed by the panic, Izuku felt his own rise. Panic pricked up his spine and tugged at his insides.

What if it was the League of Villains? What if Shigaraki had decided to come on a whim? What if—

"No, no, no," Izuku murmured, "don't think like that, come on, get yourself together."

It was too late. The ebb and flow of bodies, the panicked yelling, Izuku's own thoughts crowding and crowding; it was too much. He needed air, needed calm, needed somewhere to think.

A figure sailed above their heads.

Izuku was so surprised his thoughts screeched to a halt as Iida slammed into the wall, right above the emergency exit. He froze there for a moment, and so did Izuku, staring up at his friend.

"Everyone!" Iida yelled over the din. The crowd quieted. "It's just the media! There's no need to panic, it's just some reporters!"

People began to calm. The crowd separated, drifting back towards the cafeteria as Iida continued to shout reassurances. Izuku felt his own heart settle as Iida spoke.

"Iida, that was super manly, dude!" Kirishima called after Iida carefully returned to the ground. "Emergency Exit Iida! Emergency Exit Iida!"

A couple of the other students caught onto the chant as they filtered back into the cafeteria, and as Izuku walked, he knew what he had to do.

After lunch, Izuku stood in front of the class to address them.

"I'm stepping down from the role as class president," he said, voice calmer than he felt. "I don't think I'm fit for the role. In my place I'd like to nominate Iida instead—his actions today at lunch, his quick thinking, and his ability to calm and inform the crowd show the qualities I think we need in a leader for Class 1-A. Thank you."

"Emergency Exit! Emergency Exit Iida!"

"Yeah! Emergency Exit Iida for class president!"

"Akatani…" Iida said, eyes shining as Izuku walked back to his seat. Izuku gestured to the front of the class.

"Go on, Iida."

"I…" Iida said, "thank you."

He went to the front of the class and bowed deeply. "I'm grateful and honored to carry this mantle," Iida told them all, "and I hope to serve you well as class president."

Yes, Izuku thought, he'd made the right choice.

Izuku left U.A. that day happier than he'd arrived—until he remembered the incident at lunchtime. Heart in his throat, Izuku crossed campus to the front gates.

A group of teachers, including Principal Nedzu, were already gathered there. Izuku stayed a safe distance behind; he didn't think he was supposed to be here.

The front gate was destroyed. U.A.'s Barrier—like Uraraka had said, super high-tech… completely demolished.

Izuku's stomach twisted. He stumbled back a few steps, trying not to make too much noise.

It wasn't the work of any ordinary reporter, that was for sure. It couldn't be, not by the way the gate had crumpled to ash.

"Shigaraki," Izuku whispered, name on his tongue. He'd felt that same power held against his throat.

It was a show of power. The first card on the table. A test of U.A.'s defenses—maybe, Izuku thought, preparation. The teachers would know that, surely.

But Izuku knew it was also a warning. For him.

"Remember… we have our own eyes in U.A., so no tricks. Well?"

Izuku lowered his head. "An… an isolated training facility off-campus."

Shigaraki's eyes glittered. "All Might will be there?"

Izuku hesitated; Shigaraki took a threatening step forward, pushing up his sleeve.

"He- he should," Izuku choked out, staring at the floor. He'd lifted the information from Toshinori after he'd mentioned it briefly. "That's what I was told, at least."

"Good," Shigaraki said, glancing briefly at the TV in the corner. "Don't give yourself away just yet… hero."

Izuku was deposited not far from U.A. in a back alley. He stood, legs shaking from underneath him. Already, he saw, the sky was darkening, the day drawing its curtain and letting night step in.

"What have I done?" Izuku whispered, touching his throat gently. "Toshinori…"

He stepped out of the alley, trying to think what he could do. Warn Toshinori? Maybe go to Eraserhead? No, no— Shigaraki and Chimera both had made it clear if Izuku revealed any connection to the villains or any of their plans bad things would happen. At best it would just be Izuku, but at worst… they'd shown him before, and they wouldn't be so kind again.

"Think, think…"

Izuku took comfort in the fact that All Might would be there. Surely whatever plan Shigaraki and his sensei had put together wasn't enough to beat him. Eraserhead was a formidable opponent, too, and if put in danger Izuku knew his classmates would measure up.

But that was the problem— he didn't want them in danger at all.

"Why did I…"

Izuku told himself to stop thinking about it. He couldn't take back the words or the information he'd given away. He couldn't let his cowardice get in the way of making sure things would turn out alright.

Maybe no one would find out, this time.

But who could Izuku tell—

Izuku went back to the apartment, quickly going through his things to find what he was looking for. He tossed on a set of clothes, then a jacket with a golden eye stitched on the back. When he was done, he pulled up his hood and the mask to cover his mouth.

Approaching All Might was out of the question. Mostly because Izuku thought if he saw All Might, he would burst into tears, and nothing good would come of it. And Izuku wasn't sure how much All Might knew about Chimera; they'd kept their work with the League of Villains on the down-low, and though Chimera was dangerous, it wasn't being taken as a high-level threat… yet.

Instead Izuku opted for someone else.

He kept to the shadows, occasionally using his Quirk to keep himself somewhat hidden. When Izuku reached the building he wanted, he pulled out the gloves Hatsume had given him, hooking the little claws into the wall. The climb was easy and quick. The building wasn't very tall, either. Izuku perched on the edge of the rooftop, tugging his hood a little lower and then pulling out his mirror to change his appearance just subtly.

Then he waited.

Izuku didn't have to wait for very long. In the distance he spotted a lone figure flying along the rooftops, flitting from one to another like a bird.

Izuku locked his fingers together and began to weave an illusion of fire. Flickering gold and red flames shifted between his fingers, moving beautifully as if they were alive. The sound of a landing and footsteps told Izuku someone was behind him.

"Eraserhead," Izuku said, before the pro hero could speak.

"Do you need help?"

Izuku sighed. Eraserhead approached slowly, crouching so he was at Izuku's level.

"...do you remember me?" Izuku asked, turning.

Eraserhead's eyes flickered to the little he could see of Izuku's face, to the back of his coat, then to the fire burning between Izuku's fingertips.

"I've been looking for you," Eraserhead said after a long moment. His voice sounded rough. "I've been looking for you for a long time."

Izuku hadn't expected that. Now he wasn't quite sure what to say.

Eraserhead reached out with a hand and settled it on Izuku's shoulder, like he wasn't quite sure Izuku was real. Izuku didn't feel it.

"Are you alright," Eraserhead said in a low voice.

Izuku felt a lump form in his throat at the simple question. Eraserhead had… looked for him. Remembered him. Now he was asking if Izuku was alright—

"I- I have some information for you," Izuku said instead, heart stumbling in his chest, "that I think is important."

Eraserhead waited.

"The League of Villains," Izuku said, "you're in danger. The day after tomorrow, when your off-campus exercise takes place, they'll attack. Their goal is to defeat All Might, but I don't think they'll… I don't imagine they'll be very, um, kind to anyone who's in their way."

Eraserhead's hand tightened on Izuku's shoulder.

"Be careful," Izuku said, "I'm… sorry I don't know any more beyond that."

"How—" Eraserhead worked his jaw for a moment, thinking. "You… how sure are you, of this?"

It wasn't how can I trust you or how do you know this. It was how sure are you.

"Sure," Izuku answered quietly.

"I don't know how much I'll be able to do," Eraserhead admitted after a minute of thinking. "But… thank you for the warning. If the worst comes to pass tomorrow, at least we'll be a little more prepared than before."

Izuku nodded. "Sorry I can't—help you more."

I'm putting you in danger, Izuku thought. I'm putting both of us in danger, being here.

"I have to go."

"Wait," Eraserhead said, "Wait, kid—"

Izuku backed away. His foot hit the edge of the roof, and Izuku stopped. Eraserhead had his hand out, reaching.

"Wait," Eraserhead said again, a pleading note to his voice. "Let me help you. Please."

"You can help me by being careful on Wednesday," Izuku said, heart hammering in his throat. "I'll— see you around, Eraserhead."

Before Eraserhead could stop him, Izuku dropped off the side of the building. He caught himself easily, hooking his fingers into the wall. By the time he hit the ground, he'd created the illusion of smoke to hide himself.

Izuku ran. He heard the distant sound of Eraserhead going after him.

Checking to make sure Eraserhead was far enough behind, Izuku slipped his jacket off and turned it inside out, a plaid pattern showing instead of the other design. He tied it around his waist, showing the casual white tank top he'd put on underneath. He slipped from alley to alley, all the way, changing his appearance completely.

Slowing to a jog, Izuku took a pair of glasses from his pocket and a set of earbuds he put in.

When Eraserhead broke out into the street, the only person he saw was a young man out for a evening jog, music blasting loudly in his ears. Izuku jogged down the street, putting distance between them until he was sure he'd lost Eraserhead.

"Shit," Izuku said. "Shit."

To think for a moment Izuku had wanted to go with Eraserhead. To pull down the mask and hood, to let him see…

"You've done what you can, Izuku," he told himself. "Tomorrow we'll see."

Eraserhead didn't look happy as he stood in front of the class the next morning. He seemed more tired than usual (or at least, that was what Kaminari had loudly whispered, before someone kicked his chair and told him to be quiet).

Izuku hadn't slept well either. He'd had nightmares.

He didn't remember them now, vanished with the first rays of morning when he'd shot up in bed awake for the fourth time earlier. He did remember the sound of static crackling in his ears, and cold fingers at his throat, and dark, dark shadows that stayed, hungry and wanting.

"We'll be going off-campus today," Eraserhead droned.

Izuku clenched his hands under the desk. So they were still going.

"Several of the other teachers will be accompanying us," Eraserhead continued, "on a last-minute notice. It was originally going to be me, but I don't trust you enough to behave yourselves."

Izuku pressed his lips together. A lie. Eraserhead was lying—the extra teachers had to be because of his little tip-off the night before.

It made sense, at least. In the case that the villain attack was a false alarm, Izuku supposed there would be no use in telling the students. Or, he figured, causing unnecessary panic.

There was a pause. Then Eraserhead sighed.

"Alright, you lot. Get ready and get yourselves on the bus."

The class gathered their things. Izuku lagged behind, a heavy feeling in his stomach.

"Hey, Akatani, you alright?" Uraraka asked as they were walking out to the bus.

"Huh?"

"You look a little pale. Are you alright?"

Izuku glanced at Iida, who was up ahead. Their new class president was directing their classmates, not paying attention to Izuku or Uraraka in the back.

"I'm fine," Izuku said, flashing her a tight smile.

Uraraka hummed, looking unconvinced. "If you're sure. Don't be nervous about the exercise! I bet it's going to go great."

"I guess," Izuku said, though that wasn't why he was worried. "H-hey, as long as Iida doesn't stand too close to any windows, huh?"

"Akatani," Uraraka cried, "don't tease like that or push Iida out any windows!"

"What's this I hear about being pushed out of windows?"

Izuku cringed at the loud voice and turned to see Present Mic climb on the bus after them. He relaxed a moment later—another hero.

The whole class heard Present Mic. Iida turned from where he'd been scolding one of the girls about to attempt a handstand on the seats. He chopped his hand down in a now-familiar motion.

"Akatani! You- you, that was a training exercise, but tossing your fellow classmates out of windows is not proper classroom etiquette! Please set a good example."

The class laughed, recounting the story to each other. Izuku blushed at the attention.

"You'll have to tell me more," Present Mic said, plopping down in one of the seats and leaning forward.

Soon the bus was off. There ended up being three heroes joining Class 1-A: Eraserhead, as their homeroom teacher, Present Mic, and Midnight. Izuku figured they were a good team but wasn't sure how well they'd stand up to Shigaraki.

Down the bus, someone had started teasing Kacchan. Tsuyu had started it, or maybe one of the others, but Izuku laughed along.

Kacchan blew a few explosions, but Izuku knew it was just for show. He yelled and complained loudly about how his public image would be perfectly fine (everyone laughed).

"He's like an angry cat," someone commented.

Kacchan turned in his seat, glaring across the bus. "Who said that? Huh? Huh? I'll show you—"

"Bakugou," Eraserhead called, without even turning to see who'd made all the ruckus. "No blowing up the bus."

Next to Izuku, Uraraka giggled.

"He doesn't seem that bad, huh," she whispered to him. "Bakugou, I mean. At first I thought he was kind of… well…"

"An asshole?" Izuku offered, because Kacchan kind of was in the best sense.

"Well… anyway, he's— I don't know."

Izuku smiled as he watched the rest of the class tease Kacchan. Kacchan yelled right back, but he wasn't really upset by it. People were seeing Kacchan the way Izuku did. It was nice.

Izuku thought about it for a moment. He'd left almost four years ago, back when the two of them had been on the verge of middle school.

He'd missed that part of Kacchan's life. A little piece he wouldn't be able to get back, a distance between them that Izuku couldn't just— erase. It wasn't that easy. Most days Izuku could get by not thinking too much about his life before Chimera. Some days slipped through the cracks; some memories slipped through the cracks.

"You're zoning out again, Akatani," Uraraka said, waving a hand in his face. "And you were staring at Bakugou."

"Oh. Sorry."

Uraraka bumped his shoulder. "Don't be sorry! Oh, yeah, what's up with you two, anyway?"

Izuku shrugged. "You know the sludge villain?"

Uraraka thought back. "Yeah, I know the—oh. Oh."

In the distance, the facility appeared, a gleaming dome that was far larger than Izuku anticipated. Suddenly Izuku realized he hadn't seen Toshinori at all that morning—no, that wasn't right. He'd seen All Might on the news.

Glancing briefly at his teachers, Izuku pulled out his phone, texting quickly.

You 7:54 AM
Where are you?

You 7:55 AM
Are you not coming with us?

You 7:55 AM [Draft]
You should c

You 7:56 AM
Time?

Toshinori didn't respond. Not to the first text, or the second, or the third. And not to the second string of texts Izuku sent as Class 1-A disembarked and shuffled into the facility.

"Akatani!" Iida hissed. "Put your phone up!"

Izuku shoved his phone in his pocket, stomach lined with dread. Eraserhead had already begun explaining the Unforeseen Simulation Joint and rescue exercises, introducing rescue hero Thirteen. As the two passed each other, Eraserhead held up three fingers.

Time's up, Izuku thought.

He began to pick his way to the front, moving closer to Eraserhead as Thirteen talked about rescue missions. Sweat formed at the back of Izuku's neck.

He wasn't the only one alert. Present Mic and Midnight surrounded the students, but they weren't listening. Instead they scanned the USJ, from the watery pools to the distant fire.

And then Izuku felt it.

If asked, Izuku would be hard pressed to explain. It was something in the air. A pulse, a tingle. A cold that pooled around the ankles. A shimmer in the distance, a bit of glimmering darkness.

He'd learned to catch it, after a few times. The precious moment before the warp, the second right before Izuku would be jerked away by darkness—before Kurogiri.

"Eraserhead?" Izuku asked, voice trembling as he caught Eraserhead's sleeve. "Eraserhead, something's—"

A shadow coalesced in the center of the facility, then whirled open to reveal a group of villains. Izuku shuddered.

"Akatani," Eraserhead started. He turned, and then his eyes went wide, because—

Izuku stepped backwards into nothingness. Kurogiri wrapped around him, and the teleportation made Izuku's head spin like it always did. He was dropped far, far, far from the entrance. He thought he heard someone call his name.

Izuku got to his feet slowly, feeling heavy.

"Hello, Midoriya Izuku," Shigaraki said, one eye blinking slowly past a pale hand. "I think it's time to play."