A/N: I apologize for CH 10 and CH 11 coming out so late. They've been done for a few weeks and posted on AO3, but I was stuck on my phone due to computer issues and can't login to my account here on mobile.
All-Might and Aizawa showed up at the agency not long after Izuku and Hitoshi heard the news. No one had thought to contact the school in their rush to find the missing patrol so it fell on Izuku to call their homeroom teacher. Endeavor was out searching with a team of sidekicks but they were slowed down due to several fires breaking out in the area Izuku and Hitoshi had patrolled only hours earlier. It was immediately suspected to be a distraction but there was no way they could ignore it.
The retired hero swept both Izuku and Hitoshi into a crushing hug while Aizawa grilled the exhausted looking manager, who's name was Firebird, on the details. It seemed all was going fine until the end of the missing team's route in the northwest corner of the patrol area. Treant should have been leading them back to the agency and no distress calls came in. But eventually someone realized their map pips weren't moving. A sidekick went to investigate only to find the pagers in a dumpster. They suspected a quirk of tampering with the signal.
Surrounding agencies and police had been notified and there was a large scale search going on. Izuku notified the group chat. Those students in work studies vowed to contact their agencies as well, just in case Endeavor Agency missed a lead due to focusing on too small an area. Koda also sent out more birds to scout around.
The worrisome part for Izuku was the fact that he doubted the League of Villains was involved. They were usually more high profile due to wanting attention for recruitment. With Muscular, Mr. Compress, and Toga dead they should be looking for replacements. Either their goals had changed or there was a second group working independently. Not that Izuku wanted the League to be involved, but the heroes could at least guess their movements and intentions. An unknown group was unpredictable.
Izuku was startled from his racing thoughts by All-Might. The man clapped a hand lightly on his shoulder and squeezed in an attempt to comfort him. "My boy, Aizawa and I need to return to campus to give a report to Nezu. Do you want to come with us or stay?"
The indigo haired boy answered for them. "We're staying. At least until Sunday night. This… this isn't the experience we wanted, but we're still working here until Endeavor says otherwise."
The statement did not seem to surprise the blonde though he looked sad. "Alright. Call if you need anything or something happens. Is there anything you need from the dorms?"
After a moment of thought Izuku nodded. "Could you get my backpack and one of my notebooks? Number 15, on my desk. I think my bag is in Shoto's room, it's the yellow one."
They had not expected an overnight stay, so had left their school bags. Izuku doubted he could focus on homework but knew he should try during down time. Hitoshi requested his backpack as well.
"Alright, I'll drop them by later. For now, you two should go rest. Until more information comes in there's nothing you can do."
Despite not wanting to miss anything important Izuku knew the hero was right. They would just be underfoot if they stayed in the control room. If they were needed the agency would call or text them.
Aizawa wandered over after getting briefed by Firebird and leveled a stern stare at them. "Don't be reckless. Call me after your shift tomorrow and I'll pick you up." There was a subtle undercurrent of worry in his tone. No doubt he was feeling the loss just as bad as they were. The two students nodded in agreement.
With that the two teachers took their leave. Firebird approached them before the two boys could make their way to the elevators. "Deku, Puppet Master, tomorrow morning suit up and be here at 7 for your assignments."
They nodded dutifully before returning to their apartment. They set alarms on their phones before curling up together on the sofa. Hitoshi reclined against Izuku's chest, the greenette's arms wrapped around the other boy's waist securely. The TV was on in an attempt to distract themselves but it became just background noise as they got lost in their own thoughts.
A short while later a knock at the door startled them. Hitoshi reluctantly disentangled himself from Izuku to answer it. A woman stood on the other side and offered him their backpacks. "I'm Aimi, Babs' overnight counterpart. Your teacher dropped these off for you. Let me know if you need anything."
Hitoshi bowed in thanks before closing the door and returning to the couch. In addition to their school work All-Might had included a change of clothes, Izuku's favorite All-Might plushie that had been on the bed in his room, and some snacks. The thoughtfulness made Izuku's eyes water as he hugged the threadbare toy to his chest.
At Hitoshi's curious look Izuku quietly explained. "Kacchan gave this to me when we were kids. He won it at a faire for my sixth birthday. It was a rigged balloon game, but when the attendant got distracted he used his quirk to pop the right balloons."
The mental image made Hitoshi chuckle. "When they get back let's drag them to a carnival and make him get all of us prizes."
"That sounds like a good plan. That is, if Aizawa-sensei doesn't trap us in a plastic bubble and lock us in the dorms."
A snort escaped Hitoshi as he laughed, sending Izuku into a giggle fit. After a few moments they sobered up. With great reluctance Izuku stood from the couch and stretched. "We should try to sleep some. It's almost midnight."
Hitoshi heaved a sigh and climbed to his feet as well. Both of them knew it was a futile attempt but they needed to be in top shape if they wanted to help in the morning. Izuku surprised the other boy by standing on his tip-toes to kiss his cheek with a blush.
"It'll be alright. We'll find them."
000
At 7am sharp the two students walked into the control room in their full gear. Firebird greeted them from the front desk. She looked like she never left the control room last night. As she stood up she swayed a little, gripping the desk to steady herself as she waved someone over without delay.
"You're with Teddy and Shale today. You'll be going to the last known location of the missing patrol and trying to track them. Endeavor will be joining you if you find a lead."
Teddy turned out to be a hulking man with grizzled tan fur covering his body, large paws with claws longer than Izuku's palm, and a bear head. Standing next to Shale, he was shorter but still tall enough to come to her shoulders. He was also broader and packed densely with muscles. The man reminded Izuku of a tank. His costume was simple, looking like a park ranger uniform.
"My sniffer's the best in Japan. If there's a trail to follow, I'll find it." The hero's voice was gravely and deep, just shy of being growls, but it managed to convey calm reassurance. "We'll get your friends and Treant back. If we encounter villains I want you two to hang back and send out emergency signals. Deku, if the signal doesn't go through it'll be your job to run for help."
The greenette nodded in understanding. He wanted to argue about his job being to run away but knew he was their best shot at backup if their signals malfunctioned like the missing patrol. "Understood, Teddy-san."
The bear-man grunted. "Drop the honorific, that doesn't matter in uniform." He turned to Hitoshi. "Puppet Master, you watch our asses. I'll be counting on you to control or restrain anyone thinking of taking us by surprise."
"Got it." The other boy looked bored but Izuku could tell he was nervous at being given such a big responsibility. The greenette felt the same way. If things went south it would be on them to salvage it.
Firebird gave both boys two sets of handcuffs with a brief explanation. "Quirk suppressing cuffs. Normally they're heavily restricted to pro heroes and police but Endeavor ordered that you have them."
"Right, let's get going!" Teddy and Shale turned to lead the way out of the building.
It took them an hour to reach the area of the disappearance on foot. The alleyway was cordoned off with police tape and there was a patrol car parked near the entrance to ensure no one tampered with the crime scene. An officer stepped out of the vehicle to confirm their credentials before leaving them to their own devices.
Teddy ducked under the tape and ambled around with his head down. Occasionally his shoulders would flex with huge inhales through his nose before he would sneeze and shake his head. Shale quietly explained the process after a moment, keeping them on the other side of the tape.
"Before we left he smelled some of the clothes your friends left in the locker room. Right now he's trying to get a lock on a match, like a tracking dog. If he can't it means the pagers were planted by a villain, so he is sorting through all the recent scents and memorizing them for later."
Izuku was impressed, fingers itching for one of his notebooks. "That's so cool!"
The bear-man heard and let out a rumbling laugh. "Grizzly bears have one of the most sensitive noses on the planet. My mutation gives me that ability, among others. When push comes to shove I can run up to 30 miles per hour in short sprints."
Even Hitoshi looked impressed by that. Several more minutes ticked by before the man waved them over. "The bad news is I can't smell them. The good news is I can detect one strong trail that doesn't end at a vehicle, like delivery drivers or trash collectors. We'll follow it until we find something or it disappears."
It was not what any of them wanted to hear but it was better than nothing. They followed Teddy's lead as he wound his way through the alley to the other side. It opened onto a busy side street clogged with pedestrians yet the man's steps were unerring, only pausing every so often to sneeze trapped scents from his nose. The trek eventually led them down a less busy side street, through a small residential neighborhood, and into an industrial zone. A few areas they passed were busy with trucks and workers but for the most part it seemed deserted because of the weekend.
Shale eventually called a halt, fishing a phone from her utility belt and pressing a few buttons. It looked comically small in her large hand. "I've contacted Endeavor. This is suspicious enough that I won't authorize further exploration without backup." The two boys nodded in agreement while Teddy grunted.
Izuku kept a nervous eye on their surroundings while the adults checked in with the agency. They were in an isolated location between factories, trees and a small hill blocking them from sight of the active work areas. On one side of the road was a copse of trees, the other side held an empty lot filled with a crumbling concrete foundation. Ahead of them were more trees and the road was bisected with a rusted chain link fence before the lane curved out of view. If Izuku was a villain it seemed like an ideal spot for a hideout.
He was startled from his observations by Shale clearing her throat. "Endeavor's ETA is twenty minutes. Let's move out of the open and rest."
They moved off the side of the road and into the trees. There was not much underbrush so finding a spot to sit down was easy. The other three settled in with small bottles of water and wherever snacks they fit in their utility belts. Izuku was too restless to relax, settling instead for leaning against a tree to have a drink. Call him paranoid but he did not want to be caught on the ground if something happened. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying anything to the pros.
Hitoshi picked up on his mood and stood up to join him against the tree, bumping his hip against Izuku's lightly. "You ok?" His voice was almost too soft to hear, trying to keep an illusion of privacy even if Teddy could probably hear even that.
A soft sigh escaped Izuku and he shrugged. After a moment of thought he glanced at Hitoshi, keeping his voice just as soft. "I'm just overanalysing and worrying is all."
"Analysing what?" Hitoshi tilted his head to the side quizzically. Everyone in class 1-A knew Izuku had a good head for strategy. It was his quick thinking that got them all their licenses so easily. They knew not to shrug off his thoughts without considering them.
"It's just… it's either too easy or they got sloppy. Why go to the trouble of jamming signals, kidnapping a pro and two students, and setting fires as a distraction, only to not take precautions against tracking quirks? I mean, maybe they did but didn't think about scent based tracking?" Izuku frowned, eyes distant as he unknowingly mumbled out his thought process.
"If the kidnapping was premeditated they must have known Teddy was a part of Endeavor Agency. And if the crime was spur of the moment they probably wouldn't have had time to throw off the signal, start the fires, and then escape while keeping three people subdued. So it was premeditated. If they went that far they might even have deliberately picked that patrol because of Shoto. Maybe to draw out Endeavor. But if that was the case they would have to know the patrol route and it means there's a mole in the agency and this is a trap."
A twig snapped behind them and startled Izuku into activating One For All as he whipped around. The sight that greeted him made him both relax and feel anxious. Endeavor himself stood a few feet away, his flames conspicuously absent for stealth and to not start a forest fire. Izuku silently prayed the man had not just heard the greenette accuse his agency of having lax security.
"That is an interesting theory." The man did not look happy. Granted, every time Izuku had seen him previously he looked just as unhappy. Now though there was an angry furrow between his eyebrows. "You say you think there is a traitor…"
Izuku held his breath and fidgeted with his hands. Beside him Hitoshi looked bored and thoughtful. Teddy and Shale stood up to join them, having been listening in on the mumble-storm of speculation.
"Deku does have some good points." Teddy chimed in to defend him. "We've been looking at this as a crime of opportunity but if you look at it from that angle it makes more sense."
Shale made a thoughtful noise. "Once we're done here it would behoove us to see who had access to the patrol schedule yesterday."
With the two pro heroes backing up Izuku's theory Endeavor started looking less angry and more calculating. The greenette wanted to be wrong but at the same time, to save face, hoped that their faith in him was well placed. Beside him Hitoshi stirred with a small frown. "Why was Firebird still in the office? She looked like she hadn't left. Shouldn't someone have relieved her?"
The three heroes shared a look. "Yes, though I just thought she slept poorly. I didn't see her leave last night..." Shale trailed off and Endeavor picked up the thought. "Sloppy work reflects poorly on the agency. She should have been replaced at 12 hours."
The Flame Hero stepped away while removing his phone from his utility belt. He tapped a few buttons before bringing it to his ear. "Overwatch, detain Firebird for interrogation. Contact Detective Tsukauchi and investigate potential inside involvement with the kidnapping."
Once the call was over Teddy cleared his throat. "I messaged Firebird after Shale texted you, in case we lost signal. If she is involved the villains likely know we're in the area."
Endeavor nodded while bringing up a map on his phone. He motioned everyone close so they could see it. It appeared to be a satellite overview of the area. Further down the road it showed a large building and parking lot.
"It used to be a lumber processing factory before the company went out of business five years ago. It's been abandoned since then."
The number one hero surveyed the group for a moment. "Shale, Puppet Master, you will go around back to this fire escape." He enlarged the image and pointed. "Search the top down. Teddy, circle the building and stop any escapes or ambushes. Provide backup as needed. Deku, you're with me. We're going through the front. Priority is to rescue any hostages. Detain villains for interrogation but lethal force is authorized in self defense." The last seemed more for the benefit of the students than the pros.
Izuku and Hitoshi nodded with determined expressions in place. They would get their boyfriends back through any means necessary. Endeavor seemed satisfied, turning on his heel to lead the way through the trees towards the fence. A controlled application of fire melted a section for them to slip through.
Just before the building came into view the other three slipped away, sticking to the trees as much as possible to hide their approach. Being left alone with Endeavor was awkward but thankfully the mission kept them both silent. They loitered for a few moments before the Flame Hero stepped out of the tree line. His mane ignited as he made his way confidently towards the front door. Izuku was right behind him.
The building was a mix of steel framed factory and red brick office. The factory was a large hangar-like structure on one side. The huge sliding doors were rusted and padlocked shut from what Izuku could see. The office section was six stories high and had many broken windows, most of them boarded up on the ground floor. The main door was missing and next to the broken frame was a pile of wood that likely once blocked it off.
Endeavor made a gesture with his hand that Izuku didn't recognize but inferred to mean he should stay back as the pro stepped through into the structure. The greenette sidestepped and put his back to the wall next to the door, keeping an eye on their surroundings. The suspicion that it was a trap refused to leave his mind. Everything was too quiet, not even insects or birds could be heard.
The greenette gave Endeavor a few moments before following him in. As with outside, an unnatural silence blanketed the interior. Only the crunch of debris underfoot assured Izuku that he wasn't deaf. The lobby was strewn with litter and graffiti covered most surfaces. Prior to villain habitation it was apparently a hangout for delinquent kids.
A sneeze tried working its way out of Izuku's sinuses as their passage kicked up dust. He quickly pinched his nose to cut it off. Despite signs of intrusion there were no footprints in the dirt aside from their own. The villains either covered their tracks or used a different entrance. Or we're in the wrong location and this is a waste of time. Izuku halted that line of thought before it could drag him in. They would find Kacchan and Shoto.
Despite the complex as a whole being large, the office section had a small floor plan. They completed a circuit of the first floor in only a couple minutes, ultimately finding themselves in front of a door with a faded 'hard hats required' sticker on it. Endeavor stood on one side while Izuku took the other. The man reached for the door handle and opened it slowly.
The unnatural silence was broken by a faint hissing noise. Acting on instinct Izuku activated One For All and tackled Endeavor away from the door just in time to avoid a spray of liquid that melted the door and frame into noxious puddles. The concrete itself began to pit and sink where the droplets splattered. If Izuku hadn't acted that would have been Endeavor's arm.
Shouting from the other room had both of them on their feet in record time. The pro barreled through the hole in the wall and sent a jet of fire towards the closest voices. Izuku darted out behind him and took cover behind an industrial sized saw bench. A quick stock of the area yielded three villains visible on the ground and four on a metal catwalk above. The walkway seemed attached to a foreman's office. The villains fighting Endeavor were between the stairs and Izuku.
A splash of acid on the bench had Izuku moving without conscious thought, breaking cover to ramp up his speed and draw attention from the pro. The person with the acid quirk was on the walkway trying to provide support but it was hindering their cohorts as much as the heroes. Someone with a water quirk kept having to neutralize the acid when it got on the walkway. Clearly they weren't used to working together.
Izuku kicked off a support beam and launched himself at the water user, iron soles crushing a shoulder with a sickening crunch and sending the man screaming over the railing. The greenette scrambled to grip the rail before momentum could carry him over as well. A woman with porcupine-like quills launched a barrage at him, making him yelp and stumble as some struck his side. Gritting his teeth he used 15% of his quirk and stomped on the floor, making the suspended path shudder and sway dangerously and causing the villains to grip the sides or risk going down.
Taking advantage, Izuku flicked his fingers in a concentrated air pressure attack that hit the acid user in the chest. They wheezed and instinctively sent out a spray of liquid from their mouth that melted the path and made the supports creak alarmingly, unstable after Izuku's stomp. A stray blast of fire from below finished off half the catwalk in front of the greenette, making it melt and collapse, taking the acid quirk out of commission. Izuku was left facing a being of pure shadow who didn't seem concerned about the distance between them. They were similar to Kurogiri in appearance but the particles coming off them were black instead of purple.
Another AP attack hit the dark mass but didn't seem to phase the villain. Izuku was forced to dodge backwards to avoid a shadowy spike, the movement pulling the spines stuck in his side and making him faulter. A clawed hand formed and struck out over the distance, Izuku's attempt to block it failed as it phased through his arms and raked burning lines across his chest. Thoughts scrambling, the greenette retreated as far as he could and called out, "Endeavor, fire up here!"
A second later the pro complied, sending a pillar of flames directly at the shadowed villain. A scream pierced the air and a body dropped through the melted floor, they landed and didn't move. Izuku took a moment to breathe and assess. Endeavor was fighting two mutant types while the rest seemed out of commission. The pro was easily holding his own and didn't seem to need help.
The walkway between the suspended office and Izuku was destroyed but there was enough room to vault over with a running start. The handle was locked, a crushing twist of his quirk forced the door open. He could have cried from relief when he caught sight of his missing friends tied up on the floor. The relief was short lived when Kacchan looked up with a snarl.
"We're shitty clones, the fucking League is here!"
The Shoto clone nodded in agreement while struggling against the bindings. "Our originals are on the top floor. Let us go and we'll help. Twice, Spinner, and Shigaraki are guarding them."
Not needing much persuasion, Izuku pulled a pocket knife from his utility belt and set them free. The clones didn't have equipment but he knew they should have the same quirks. In the aftermath of his and Kacchan's kidnapping in the forest they had learned about the clones Twice sent after Aizawa and Vlad King.
"Were Kacchan and Shoto hurt?" It was strange to be talking to them like they were different people. While the duplicates stretched and recovered Izuku gritted his teeth as he pulled the quills free from his side. Thankfully they seemed to have missed anything vital.
"Fucking Shigaraki got his gross hands on some type of quirk suppressing drug. Aside from that only some bruises. Let's fucking go!"
The Bakugo clone was just as impatient as the real one, rushing out of the room and jumping down with a controlled explosion. Todoroki created an ice slide for himself and Izuku to follow. The clones ran off back into the office building while Izuku got Endeavor's attention.
"The League is here, it's a trap! Twice cloned the hostages, I'm going after them!" The pro grunted in assent, still struggling against one of the mutant villains. Izuku's insides twisted in apprehension when he noticed the villain had an exposed brain - it was a nomu. Knowing he would only be in the way, he darted through the door and rushed towards the stairs.
The sound of fighting reached his ears and he came out on the top floor in time to see Shale and the clones battling Shigaraki. Instinct had Izuku wanting to jump in but the hallway was too narrow for four people much less five. The clones were keeping the villain from fleeing to the stairs. Shale noticed him and bellowed orders.
"Help Puppet Master on the roof!"
Izuku nodded and continued up the last flight of stairs. The roof access door was partially disintegrated and he could see Hitoshi trying to fend off Twice and Spinner by himself. Dabi and Magne were nowhere in sight, to his relief and concern.
Pieces of Hitoshi's capture scarf littered the roof, he was fighting hand to hand against blades now. Images of Hosu flashed to mind, making Izuku's blood run cold. He waited for an opening before springing out, blindsiding Twice with a kick to the side and herding him away from his friend.
The masked villain was quick on his feet, recovering swiftly and rolling under another blow. As Izuku sprang up a tape measure unfurled from one of Twice's bracers and sliced Izuku across the cheek. The greenette recoiled and dodged a second tape measure before it could catch him in the throat. He scrambled to pull the respirator up and into place over his mouth to block his neck and lower face from the flexible blades.
"That was a filthy trick you played on lil old me in Kamino. Brilliant though!"
Izuku dove under a flurry of attacks, rolling and lashing out with a foot at Twice's knee. A sickening pop sounded before the villain screamed in pain but he didn't go down. Springing to his feet Izuku followed up with a punch to the face that finally made Twice collapse. The greenette retreated to help Hitoshi, not that the other boy needed help.
"Drop your blades and jump off the roof." Hitoshi's voice was even and firm as he gave the grim order. Apparently he'd finally made the man respond to a question.
Izuku turned to keep an eye on Twice but the villain stayed down, unconscious. The indigo haired boy caught his breath before approaching. He sported a few bleeding cuts but nothing life threatening. After the short breather Izuku pulled a pair of quirk suppressing handcuffs from his belt and restrained Twice.
"He made clones of Kacchan and Shoto. They were helping Shale fight Shigaraki."
"Let's go then."
When they reached the floor below they were greeted by the sight of Shigaraki face down on the ground with metal encasing his hands behind his back. Two waxy piles of goo on the ground told Izuku the clones were dead. His stomach flip-flopped and bile tried crawling up his throat at the thought. They were clones but those puddles could just as easily have been the real ones.
Further down the hallway Shale ducked out of a doorway and emerged followed by two familiar figures. Izuku was moving before he could think, nearly tackling the two boys to the ground. Katsuki grunted but wrapped him in a tight hug. Hitoshi joined them a moment later, clinging to Shoto.
"You're not clones, right?" The question was muffled against Kacchan's chest and Izuku's respirator but the blonde heard it.
A tired chuckle vibrated through the ash blonde. "Nah, that asshole can only make two at a time."
They reluctantly disentangled from each other when Shoto spoke up solemnly, talking to Shale. "Treant is dead. He tried breaking free and Shigaraki decayed him."
The hero slumped against the wall and let out a grief stricken noise but composed herself after a moment. The news made Izuku wince and tear up. Treant had seemed nice, Izuku had been looking forward to getting to know him. He swallowed thickly and closed his eyes, fighting to get back into a professional mind set.
"Endeavor and I ran into seven villains in the factory. All but one was out of commission when I came up here. It was a nomu. Twice is cuffed on the roof and Spinner is… probably on the ground out back."
Shale nodded at the report, leaning down to heft Shigaraki over a shoulder. He seemed to be unconscious. She led the way downstairs and roughly tossed the villain to the ground in the lobby before following Izuku to the side door. When they looked in the fight appeared to be over.
The nomu was dead, head impaled on a giant saw blade attached to one of the abandoned machines. The other villains were restrained in a row by the sliding door. The pro hero was on his phone, requesting backup from what Izuku could tell. Several nasty gashes were bleeding on his arms and chest but not bad enough to be alarming.
The rescued boys surveyed the villains and Shoto frowned after a moment. "One's missing."
"Some bitch with metal antennas in her head." Kacchan scowled in agreement. "She fucked up our phones and pagers."
Shale let out a heavy sigh. "If she fled Teddy will find her. For now, Deku, injury report."
The greenette startled, looking confused, before Kacchan elbowed him pointedly in the side. Izuku hissed and pressed over the punctures. "Oh, ah… one of them had projectile quills that hit me. Um, then scratches on my chest and face. I think a rib might be broken."
Coming down from the adrenalin high, it hurt to take deep breaths. There were other pains but he was sure they were just bruises and muscle strain. Getting a good look at the others, Shoto and Kacchan seemed to just have nasty bruises, as the clones said. Their faces were bruised, as was the rest of their visible skin. Izuku felt terrible for not noticing before. His hug earlier had probably been painful.
Shoto noticed his expression and approached to draw him into a lighter embrace. "We're ok. You got here before they could do more." Izuku pulled back and, forgetting their audience, kissed him on the cheek. A throat cleared behind them and Izuku hopped back with a squeak, face flushing in embarrassment.
The Flame Hero stared at them with an unreadable expression before focusing on Shale. "The police will be here to collect the scum. Havok is coming to take us back to the agency. Detective Tsukauchi is already there, he'll take our statements. Junyi can tend us."
With that Endeavor stalked out to collect the other villains. Izuku regarded Shoto with wide eyed dismay. "I'm sorry!"
The two tone boy shrugged, looking nonplussed. "He'd find out eventually. I don't care if he doesn't approve. I love you and nothing will change that." His gaze swept over the other boys, including them in the statement. Even Kacchan blushed faintly at that.
Several minutes later the large sliding doors opened to reveal Endeavor with Twice and Shigaraki at his feet. He kicked the melted padlock out of the way as he stepped back inside. Teddy followed a moment later with an unconscious woman in his arms. He dropped her next to the other villains, metal antennas giving away the fact she was the missing one.
"There's a dead lizard around back." The bear grunted, not sounding too concerned.
A thought reoccurred to Izuku as he eyed the assorted criminals. He turned to Kacchan with a frown. "Where are Dabi and Magne?"
The blonde shrugged, stretching his arms above his head with a sigh. "They said she's dead. Dunno about the patchwork asshole. We never saw him and they didn't say."
Further discussion was cut off by approaching sirens. Several police cars and a couple vans pulled up. The pros brought out their licenses, Hitoshi and Izuku following suit. Kacchan and Shoto no longer had their physical copies but since they weren't directly involved with the fighting it didn't matter.
An officer with a cat head verified all of their identities before waving them off. "Naomasa is expecting you at Endeavor Agency. We'll handle these." The villains were already being loaded into different cars and the vans.
A dark van pulled up shortly thereafter. A sidekick with a skeletal black mask, black hood, and black jumpsuit was in the driver's seat. They unlocked the doors for the battered group to climb in. Endeavor took the front passenger seat while the boys squished into the bench seat one row back. Shale and Teddy, being the largest, sat in the cargo area.
"Glad to see you all in one piece!" The driver spoke up and Izuku realized he'd heard the voice before. It was the sidekick who greeted them outside Endeavor's office. For being such a cheerful guy he had an intimidating costume. Izuku idly wondered what his quirk was, but it wasn't the time or place to ask.
The ride was made in tense silence, everyone exhausted after the mission. It thankfully didn't take long to reach the agency. The van pulled into a parking garage nextdoor and the heroes led the way inside. The receptionist hurried to open the gate to the elevators for them. They piled in and Endeavor pressed the button for floor 13, after a moment it opened into what looked like a clinic waiting room.
They were met by a woman wearing scrubs who ushered everyone through a side door. The main room looked a lot like the infirmary at U.A. but was decked out in equipment Izuku had only ever seen in hospitals. The injured were waved onto beds and given gowns to put on. Endeavor tried to argue but the woman simply stared with raised eyebrows until he sighed and closed the curtains around his bed.
Once Izuku was changed he opened his curtains and waited somewhat impatiently. He was finding he intensely disliked waiting for doctors. Once everyone else was ready a man with blue hair and pink eyes emerged from another room. His gaze swept over them before he approached Izuku.
"I am Junyi. My quirk is Resonance." He regarded the greenette's look of curiosity before explaining. "Did you know that cats purr at a frequency that can help improve healing for themselves and others?"
Izuku nodded, fingers itching for his notebook. The man continued while pulling a tuning fork from the pocket of his scrubs. "My quirk is similar. You might get a headache from this. Try not to move."
The healer struck the fork against the foot of the bed before hovering it close to Izuku's forehead. The humming sound grew in intensity and soon it felt as if it was vibrating inside his skull. He ground his teeth together as the sensation increased exponentially with each passing second. He squeezed his eyes closed as nausea twisted his insides. But before it could become too much it stopped. The abrupt cessation made him reel, feeling dizzy. Junyi pressed him to lay down.
"What I do is stimulate healing. You'll have to go easy on your wounds but they should be fine in a couple days." The man moved on to Endeavor, seeming to sense who needed healing the most. It made Izuku feel better when he looked over to see the Flame Hero looking just as off kilter from the quirk.
Once everyone was tended the healer left just as abruptly as he appeared. A nurse stepped in to bandage everyone up. After she left Havok stepped forward when Endeavor seemed recovered enough to hold a conversation. "The detective is in the waiting room. Should I let him in?"
The pro grunted with a sullen expression but nodded. A few seconds later the detective Izuku met after the Toga incident entered. He nodded to Endeavor before taking in the presence of the students. His lips turned up in a wry smile.
"I really wish I didn't keep bumping into you kids. I need all of your statements. Let's start with the fight at the factory."
Shale and Teddy outlined their parts in the search and rescue, starting with the scent trail and ending with when they met back up with Endeavor after the fighting. Teddy's capture of the signal jammer villain was boring, he just charged her and knocked her out with a swipe when she ran into the woods from a back door. Shale, who had control over metal and precious gems, was able to capture Shigaraki thanks to the clones distracting him long enough for her to melt quirk suppressing cuffs over his hands.
Hitoshi went next, detailing how he and Shale encountered the League members during their search. He included how he pursued Twice and Spinner when they fled to the roof and how he ordered Spinner to jump in order to help Izuku with Twice. Izuku and Endeavor went over their own fights, which were fairly straightforward.
The detective remained impassive as he wrote down the relevant details. Next he motioned at Shoto. "What about your kidnapping?"
The two tone boy frowned as he spoke up. "It was nearing the end of our patrol when Treant received emergency coordinates on his pager. It led us to an alleyway on the northwest edge of the area. As soon as we stepped in we were surrounded by at least six villains. Treant and I were shot with something that disrupted our quirks. We couldn't use them. Katsuki tried to fight but he was shot in the back. Shigaraki was there so we didn't want to engage in close combat."
Shoto grimaced and grabbed a glass of water from a table beside his bed. He took a long drink before continuing. "They threw a vial of something at us that knocked us out. By the time I woke up Treant was dead. We were tied up in that room for a couple hours before Twice cloned us. We heard them talking about how Magne had been killed by a rival group, but that's about it. They didn't say much around us."
The blonde nodded in agreement but added, "When I woke up Treant was trying to escape. He had a knife hidden in his costume. He cut the ropes on his wrists but Shigaraki came in before he could get his ankles free… The asshole disintegrated Treant and had his buddies beat us."
Bile rose in the back of Izuku's throat at the description of the pro's death. Everyone lapsed into solemn silence for several moments as they contemplated it. When it became apparent that no one had anything to add, the detective tucked his notepad away with a sigh.
"We'll interrogate everyone you guys captured. Hopefully we can figure out what they were planning. For now, Endeavor, if you are feeling well enough I have news that you'll probably want to hear in private."
Havok disappeared briefly and returned with a stack of clothes that he distributed to everyone. They were generic white t-shirts and grey sweat pants but they felt like heaven compared to his dirty jumpsuit when Izuku slipped them on under the gown. The others did the same. It was strange seeing Endeavor out of costume, Izuku had to keep himself from staring.
When Endeavor disappeared out the door with Tsukauchi, Havok turned to the students. "I called Eraser, he'll be here later tonight. In the mean time all of you can have a rest in one of the apartments when you're well enough to move. You can leave your suits here, they'll be cleaned and repaired before you leave for school." The man and Shale left to go about their business, leaving the boys to their own devices.
After a brief rest in silence the boys stood, collected their personal items from their suits, and made their way out. They stopped by the locker room to get their stored belongings before Izuku and Hitoshi led them to their assigned unit. The quiet was companionable but as they stepped into the apartment Izuku felt like he would burst from containing his nervous chatter.
"Are you guys hungry? There's not much but we could make you curry or ramen. Or if you're tired you can nap. Oh, I should message everyone to let them know you're ok. Hi-mmph!"
Shoto leaned down to press his lips to Izuku's, effectively putting a stop to the fretting. It was a sloppy and awkward first kiss since the greenette had been mid-sentence, but after a startled pause he closed his mouth and returned the gentle pressure. He felt like his face was on fire from blushing. Somewhere next to him the others were snickering.
They finally parted for air after a few seconds. Izuku was relieved to see the heterochromatic boy was just as flustered by the occurrence. They peered into each other's eyes for a brief moment before Izuku became aware of his phone blowing up from his pocket. He pulled away to bring it out, opening the tab with the class group chat.
A confused frown tugged his lips. Almost the entire class was tagging him and Shoto with fawning messages. Feeling wary, he scrolled up until he found the start of the explosion.
Eyebags: [ ]
Izuku turned towards Hitoshi with an outraged squeak in time to see him slip his phone back into his pocket and bolt into the bathroom. The door lock clicked and they could hear him cackling. Izuku banged on the door but that made the indigo haired boy laugh louder.
"See if I ever rescue you from villains!" Izuku fumed with embarrassment before turning to a bemused Shoto and smirking Kacchan. "I'll make you two noodles." With a huff he entered the kitchen to do just that.
It felt good to hear Hitoshi and Kacchan laughing again, even if it was at Izuku and Shoto's expense.