The Cloth that Binds

He hit the mat with a sickening thud. After laying there a few seconds, he brought his fists up and slammed them back down on the slick, plastic mat and gritted his teeth.

"You almost had it. The angle you're wrapping it still needs to be higher. That's why the hold of the binding cloth keeps slipping." The tone of his voice offered no encouragement or disapproval. To most people this too-even tone didn't offer anything, but Shinso had trained with Aizawa-sensei long enough to know his words spoke for themselves and didn't need to be framed by flowery lilts or harsh reprimand. You almost had it. Did he really though? Because he felt like he had improved very little the last couple of weeks. "It's getting late. One more try and we'll call it a night," said Aizawa-sensei.

Shinso stood up, his body aching from all the falls he had taken. He picked up his binding cloth, loosely looping most of its length around his left arm. They were both standing in the vast emptiness of Gym Gamma, every word they spoke or sound they made echoing around them due to the lack of cement obstacles, hills, and edifices that normally occupied the large space. Cementoss had reduced it all to flat ground after his last class of the day.

Shinso looked up at the exposed metal girder that supported the ceiling. He grabbed the end of the cloth and, with a flick of his wrist, shot it at the girder. It wrapped around the metal beam three times. Shinso yanked the cloth back, tightening the bind. The point of tension seemed to be higher this time; perhaps it would hold. He began to climb up the cloth. His goal was to reach the girder before it unraveled. In previous attempts, he would get about six feet from the top and the cloth would loosen and he'd fall. There were many different causes that aided in the unraveling. The speed and strength of the throw. The more forceful and quick the throw, the more secure the cloth held. The angle like Aizawa had mentioned and how Shinso climbed the rope. If he jerked his body too much or used inefficient movement, it would also start to loosen the hold. Aizawa made it look so easy, but he told Shinso he had done this very exercise thousands of times over the course of years to perfect it. Shinso was sweating profusely, his calloused hands were chapped and sore, and every muscle in his body protested, but he kept going. He was six feet away now. Five feet. He was sure that with one more pull of his left arm, he could grab the girder with his right. He watched the cloth slip away from the metal hold and his stomach turned. As he fell, he felt Aizawa's cloth wrap around his torso. He was perched on the nearest wall about halfway up, ready to break his fall. Shinso hit the mat and wanted to give it all up in that moment. To give up the obscure fighting style that his mentor had created. But he knew he was just upset, and he had to think logically like Aizawa would.

"You're so close. That was your best attempt yet. Real progress," Aizawa said steadily. Shinso tried not to grumble under his breath.

...

"I can drive you down to see your dad tonight," Aizawa said.

"No. My mom is coming to get me in the morning, and we'll take the bullet train up. He'll be awake by then. Eri, try that piece." Shinso pointed at a puzzle piece next to her hand. He, Aizawa, and Eri were sitting on the floor putting together an All Might puzzle.

"Oh. Thanks, Hitoshi!" She picked up the piece. It fit in the corner she was working on.

"You don't have to wait for your mom," Aizawa said evenly.

"If I get there before her, she'll cause a scene when she shows up. I'll just wait." Shinso's stomach lurched. "My dad isn't in any real danger now. He's out of surgery and stable." He said this more like he was trying to convince himself than stating a fact. Shinso swallowed hard and stood up. He quickly walked over to the window and looked out at the campus. He breathed out a shaky exhale before stilling himself and forcing his breathing to become even. After a minute, Aizawa stood up from the floor and joined Shinso, leaning on the windowsill next to him.

"If you change your mind, I can even stay with you through the next day if it would make things easier with your mom. She may behave better if I'm there."

"I'll keep that in mind." But he wouldn't take the offer. He didn't want to put Aizawa out. He was offering too much. Shinso noticed a familiar red haired-figure in the distance walking towards the faculty dorm. Aizawa's dorm had been expanded when he legally adopted Eri. His faculty dorm room, which was more like a studio apartment, with a small kitchen, living, and dining area, was on the third floor and afforded a decent view. "Great," Shinso mumbled irritated.

"What's wrong?" Aizawa asked.

"Kirishima. That's what's wrong. He won't leave me alone. He's been texting me ever since last hour ended." Shinso paused. "You didn't mention anything about my dad being in a car wreck to anyone?"

"Of course not. Maybe he could tell you seemed down."

"That's highly unlikely. I don't really talk much or interact with Class 1A. They all think I'm a creep anyway. Except Kaminari and Kirishima and they're both annoying as hell."

"Language," Aizawa said as he pointed down at Eri.

Shinso smirked, "Sorry, dad." Aizawa exhaled loudly through his nose. Shinso looked down at the wrong moment and made eye contact with Kirishima through the window. He saw him mouth the words, "Hey, bro." Bro. Shinso wasn't anyone's "bro." Kirishima was perpetually upbeat and tenacious in his pursuit of befriending Shinso. It drove him crazy. Kirishima pointed at the door with a nod as if to communicate he was entering the dorm through the front door. Obviously, Shinso thought. Shinso didn't respond to him. He kept his face completely impassive. Kirishima gave him a thumbs-up and entered the building. Aizawa watched the interaction with a slightly amused expression.

"Will you get rid of him? I'd rather hang out with you and Eri tonight," Shinso asked.

"No. I think it's important for you to start having a rapport with Class 1A. You seemed to hit it off very well with Asui, Kirishima, and Kaminari during the Class 1A/Class 1B drill a few months ago. And you'll be in 2A two months from now. They're not a bad group. I think you guys just started off on the wrong foot with the Sports Festival." The fact that Shinso was a bit jealous of Class 1A because Aizawa was their teacher probably didn't help as well. Along with his own personal first impression of Class 1A, he really wasn't looking forward to getting to know them.

There was a loud knock at the door. Shinso gave Aizawa a pained look. "Just talk to him," Aizawa said in his usual monotone.

"If I do, then can I stay?"

"Yes. If he doesn't invite you to join him, that is. If he invites you over to the dorm, or anywhere else, you go with him. Consider it an assignment from me. The next part of your training." Shinso groaned. He walked over to the door and opened it. He had an irritated and stony look on his face that he hoped would scare Kirishima off.

"Heya, Shinso! Been looking for ya, man. How come you didn't answer my texts?" he said in gravelly, yet overly enthusiastic tones.

"Was busy. What d'ya want Kirishima?" he said in a low drawl.

"I noticed you seemed kinda down today, so I wanted to see if ya felt up to playing a game of touch football. Thought maybe it'd cheer you up." If Shinso had to rank the things that cheered him up, touch football would be clear on the farthest end. If anything, the idea made him almost physically cringe. Especially with Class 1A. If Kirishima was organizing it, it would mean Bakugo would be there. Shinso couldn't stand Bakugo. He was an asshole of the nth degree.

Aizawa cleared his throat loudly and Shinso glanced at him. Aizawa nodded at him and gave him "the look." This look brooked no argument. Shinso made a pained expression and looked back at Kirishima. He smiled eagerly at Shinso like some goofy, oversized puppy. "Yeah… sure," he said dejectedly.

"Great!" Kirishima grinned a toothy grin.

"Have fun Hitoshi!" Eri called to him as he walked out the door.

One end of Aizawa's mouth curled into a half-grin. Aizawa couldn't help but have a feeling of DeJa'Vu' at Kirishima and Shinso's interaction. Loud Cloud and Red Riot were cut from the same cloth it would seem. He looked out the window at the tall, retreating figure of Shinso, hands in his pockets, eyes downcast as Kirishima walked beside him gesturing wildly while he talked, trying his best to engage the unengagable. Aizawa knew exactly how Shinso felt. And he hoped that Kirishima was as persistent as his own friends had been fifteen years previous.

2 weeks later

All they could do was watch. The devastation was immense and there were so many different battles commencing at the same time that the overall coverage was so thin. "Why haven't we seen Aizawa yet? Is he okay, Yagi-sensei?" Eri asked in a small voice. She was sitting on Yagi's lap, her face worried.

"I'm sure he's fine. He's a very brave hero, Eri. We just have to wait," Yagi answered. Shinso was sitting on the other side of Eri feeling equal parts nervous wreck and brewing rage. It was absolutely ridiculous he couldn't fight. He would have to wait almost halfway through his second year to get his hero's license. Until then, he knew he was worthless. Both the first-year hero classes had been called to fight against the League of Villains. One battle had started at a hospital in Jaku City. He knew from what Yagi had told him that this was where Aizawa and Yamada had gone. But now the villain Gigantomachia was ripping through a wooded area near Gunga Mountain villa and an even more destructive battle raged several miles outside of Jaku City where there was massive destruction. Endeavor was there, but he was the only hero on the scene they could identify from the distance the news crews were willing to spectate. He wondered where Aizawa was and if he was safe. He sat in the faculty dorm living area with Yagi-sensei and Eri, waiting. Because that was all the three of them could do. Wait.

...

Algebra couldn't end soon enough. When the bell rang, he made his way to the faculty dorm. He found Yamada-sensei in the kitchen with Eri.

"Hey, Shinso!" Yamada said loudly. Shinso gave him an expectant, but hopeful look. "They haven't released him from the hospital yet, buddy. They're hoping they can tomorrow."

"Hitoshi! Will you stay and make cookies with us?" Eri asked sweetly.

"Yeah."

...

He shot out of his chair as soon as last hour's bell released him.

"Hey, Shin!" he heard down the hallway. He turned towards the voice. It was Kaminari. "Aizawa-sensei is back. We haven't seen him, but Gushiken-sensei said he got back about an hour ago. I know you've been asking about him…."

"Thanks," Shinso said as he shot out the front doors of the main building. He ran straight to the faculty dorm. There had been rumors about his injuries. Missing arms, missing legs, his face bashed in and blindness. Some said it was worse than the USJ incident. Others said that it wasn't as bad. It had only been a few days, so he hoped that was a good sign. He knew Yamada had visited him at the hospital, but he didn't have the stomach to ask him the day before when they were baking cookies. He stood, paralyzed, when he got to Aizawa's door.

"Come in," he heard him call through the door. Had he been that noisy walking up? He opened the door and saw Aizawa on the couch, Eri curled up next to him, asleep. Her face was tear-stained. Shinso stepped in and closed the door gently behind him. His eyes went immediately to Aizawa's right leg. It was missing. Shinso took two steps and then dropped to his knees before he could make it all the way to the couch. He felt sick, his whole body numb.

"How…." He couldn't finish the question without losing it, so he lowered his eyes and stared at the carpet, at a space right in front of him.

"Shinso. It's going to be okay." His voice was calm and even. Like it was all the time. Shinso dared to look at his face, willing himself to keep his composure. His right eye was bandaged up, and he had many abrasions on his face.

"I should have gone. I should have broken the rules and fought. I'm a coward, I should have…"

"You would have been breaking the law. Vigilantism is no joking matter. You could have been removed from the hero course or expelled from UA."

"And it would have been worth it if you came back whole!" Shinso screamed at Aizawa through livid tears. "Do you think a villain cares if the hero that stops them has a hero's license? Or the civilians whose lives are saved? Or you? I could have Brainwashed Shigaraki!" His voice cracked as it grew in volume. "He's the one that did this right!? That's what everyone's saying. I could have…. maybe I could have saved…. Midnight….." Shinso's voice trembled as he said her name. He thought surely Aizawa would react, but he didn't. His face was impassive. Inscrutable. Eri started to stir next to Aizawa. She reached a small hand out and placed it on Aizawa's arm. She sighed before returning to sleep. Shinso stood up and took a few steps to the couch. He kneeled on the floor next to Aizawa, looking up into his face.

"Your eye?" Shinso asked, more like an accusation than a question.

"It's gone."

Shinso turned his back to Aizawa and sat on the floor. He clenched his fists and shut his eyes wishing that this was a nightmare that they could all wake up from. Shinso's heart raced in his chest. How could Aizawa be Eraserhead with one functioning eye? How could he leap from building to building with a clunky prosthetic leg? Aizawa was a stealth hero. Shinso was sick to his stomach and felt a building anger he could not extinguish. He could barely get the words out. "How will you be a hero now?" As he spoke the words, he felt his skin flush. It was like the room was spinning. "You've given so much to so many," Eri and I more than anyone he thought, but he couldn't say it. Shinso let the rest of his words rush from him in pure, unbridled emotion. "And you can sit there and take this… punishment from the universe and have your… livelihood as a hero taken from you. One of your closest friends taken from you. And you just sit there calmly!?" He was still looking away from his mentor, out the window into the late afternoon sky. It was an overcast day and the sky and the light that filled the room were colorless and dimmer than usual.

He felt Aizawa's hand on his shoulder, and he immediately felt the last of his anger dissipate. Now he was just filled with the sadness of loss, quiet tears streaming down his face.

"There's so much more to being a hero than one's prowess in battle. I am as much a hero now as I was a week ago. I came back to you and Eri, and my students. I can still protect Eri and others from her quirk. I can still teach. I still have a lot to teach you, Shinso."

Shinso turned to look at him. A small smile spread across Aizawa's face. "No good hero is a one-trick pony. You don't have to worry about me."

A couple of minutes later, Eri woke up from her nap, and they made dinner. Aizawa hobbled around on a crutch while Shinso prepared most of the meal. Eri talked about school and Shinso complained about English class. Aizawa listened intently and nodded quietly to their chatter like he always did. Shinso thought it was strange that things still felt normal.

Two weeks later

Shinso kept his breathing shallow. He crouched in a treetop that had excellent cover. His cloth was at the ready and he scanned all the trees around him and the ground below. He tried to pinpoint any noise, rustle, or footfall. The wind blew in his direction and his nostrils flared, taking in the scents it brought him. It was still his weakest sense, but he was getting better.

"You're ignoring your left," the deep voice sounded above him. He immediately tried activating Brainwash, but Aizawa obviously had used Erasure on him. Before Shinso knew it, the cloth was wrapped around his shoulders and chest and he was hung upside down from the branch he had been perched on. "Just Ashido left," Aizawa said under his breath. "If you can untangle yourself out of the cloths, you may be able to help her before I get to her." He saw Aizawa leap to an adjacent tree and then quickly disappear under the cover of the forest. Shinso's team, consisting of Ashido, Asui, and Sero looked like they were going to lose this training exercise. If having only one eye and a prosthesis slowed Eraserhead down, his students definitely couldn't tell.

...

He was halfway up the cloth, and he felt good about this attempt. He was less wobbly climbing the vertical length now; his core and arms had gotten stronger over the last few weeks. Hand over hand, his legs held taut but hanging underneath him. He was almost there. He saw the wrapped cloth move a fraction; it was starting to slip. He took the risk and grabbed the cloth tightly with his left hand and pulled himself up with added force. The cloth came loose from its hold but not before his right hand grabbed the girder. Aizawa looked up at him and nodded. Shinso couldn't help the wide grin that spread across his face.

As they walked out of Gym Gamma, Aizawa was reiterating the previous lesson. "The cloth is only as strong as the person throwing it. You have to have a clear purpose and aim. Many aspects aid in how well the cloth will hold. Never hesitate to welcome outside help like the direction the wind is blowing or the material the hold is made of. Understand? The last one is especially important."

"Yes. The cloth is only as strong as the person throwing it, have purpose, and most importantly never hesitate to accept help offered," Shinso repeated. Aizawa smiled his cryptic half-smile. Shinso had heard this lesson about his cloths before, but he knew this time Aizawa was really talking about something else.

"So, have any plans? It's Saturday night," Aizawa asked.

"Yeah. Kaminari texted me. Sato is cooking tonight at 1A, so he thought I wouldn't want to miss dinner with them."

Aizawa nodded. "Just be back at Gen Studies Dorm by curfew. They'll be changing things in the next week. Adding new security measures. Earlier curfew. It will be really rough the next few weeks. Possibly months. Speaking of which, you have an appointment with the Hero Committee next week."

"What?"

"I pulled some strings. You and a handful of other first years deemed ready throughout Japan will be taking the hero licensing exam."

Shinso stopped walking and stared at Aizawa speechless.

"Train hard next week. Ask Class 1A about what it was like for them. It will help you prepare." Aizawa nodded at him and turned towards the faculty dorm, hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched forward, binding cloths obscuring half his face.

"Sensei. Thank you," Shinso somehow managed in his state of shock. Aizawa raised his hand up in the air, a wave that said "you're welcome." He did not turn to look back at him as he walked towards the faculty dorm. Shinso smiled.