TW: child abuse

When Izuku got home, he realized he was so busy thinking about his strange encounter with Bakugou that he forgot to shop for his belt.

"Crap," he whispered while tiptoeing towards his room. Unfortunately, the floorboards creaked and his mother heard him.

"Izuku, is that you?"

Izuku sighed and let go of the doorknob.

"Yeah, mom. It's me."

Inko poked her head from the kitchen doorway and gave him a small smile.

"How was your day? I hope you were able to buy what you needed," she squinted at the bag and then back at him.

Izuku struggled to find an adequate response and gave her a little shrug instead. "I, yeah. Guess I did."

A long stretch of silence followed.

They hadn't really talked since the day he broke down, even though he could tell that Inko really wanted to speak to him. He didn't know if he could face her though, especially now when he had another secret hovering over his mother's head. The last thing he wanted was to be the reason she had more tears in her eyes.

"Izuku… I know these past couple of days have been really hard for you," she said while making her way over to him, "but I want you to know that I'll be here for you every step of the way."

She took in a little breath and then reached out to gently caress his cheek.

"And if you ever want to talk to me about anything," she eyed the bags again. Izuku tensed. "Anything at all," her eyes went back to searching his face, "You can come to me."

Izuku gave a short nod and backed away from her. "Y-yeah, okay. Thanks. I'm a little tired now, though. So, um, maybe we can talk later?" he asked, fidgeting with the bags. Did she somehow know what he was shopping for? He hoped she didn't.

Inko's face fell a little, but she still smiled at him. "Of course, dear. I'll call you when dinner's ready."

Izuku quickly shut the door to his room and threw himself on the bed with a loud groan. Today had been so emotionally draining, he couldn't imagine how he would feel once he actually started going out on patrols.

He sat up a little and reached over for his journal now labeled 'Vigilante Analysis for the Future', flipping to the page where he had drawn a map of the city. The idea was to start small and close to home. That way, if he got badly injured or needed to make a quick escape, he could make his way back with no problems.

But his conversation with Bakugou made Izuku realize something.

School.

How could have he forgotten that he still needed to go to school? That would require him to come up with a completely different plan of action to work in study times and the commute.

As if on cue, his cell phone buzzed and Izuku nearly flew out of bed when he saw who was texting him.

Bakugou Katsuki. Saved as Kacchan with a smiley face.

No way.

No freaking way.

He stared at his phone a little while longer, as if waiting for it to explode, but when nothing happened he finally opened the message.

Kacchan :) 5:34 PM

here's the homework for the week

See attached files.

Kacchan :) 5:35 PM

we have a math test on tuesday so get 2 work

What do I even say? Izuku's fingers trembled as he thought about what to send back.

'Thank you, I'm so glad you didn't blow me up today?'

'Sorry I'm ignoring you but I thought you hated me?'

His fingers hovered over the screen for a few seconds when another message popped up. Izuku nearly dropped his phone.

Kacchan :) 5:35 PM

don't fuck up

When Bakugou didn't text him anything else, Izuku let out the breath he was holding in and closed his eyes.

Izuku was generally a good student, but would he be able to handle vigilantism alongside studying for tests?

I could just drop out, he thought absentmindedly playing with the strings of his new hoodie.

No, Izuku quickly sat up again.

If he was going to do this, he had to do it right. And if that meant coming up with a strict schedule for himself, then so be it.

He reached over for his journal and got to work.

—

For his patrol the next day, Izuku decided to stay out of sight as much as possible. He figured it would be easier to surprise the bad guys if they couldn't see him. And since Izuku had no idea how to fight yet, he figured that long-ranged attacks with his quirk would be enough.

Izuku ended up leaving his house a little past twelve, feeling slightly groggy and disoriented. The chilly night air quickly revived him though and soon he found himself deep into the city.

To say that he was nervous was an understatement.

Izuku was freaking out.

Not only had he never been out this late, but he was alone and didn't have anything more than a mini pocket knife as a weapon.

You have your quirk, he reminded himself. He could feel the energy pulsing within both his palms as if anxious to be set free. It reassured him.

You can do this.

But then a random cat hissed at him and Izuku's confidence took a nosedive.

"Gosh darn it, little guy. Don't do that to people," Izuku mumbled, approaching it with caution. The cat looked like it had seen better days, its black fur tangled and covered in fleas. He picked a couple out and then tried to pet it. Although the cat recoiled, it didn't move away.

Soon enough, it had moved closer to Izuku and was purring steadily.

"You shouldn't be out here on your own," Izuku said quietly.

The cat looked up at him and blinked as if saying, "Neither should you".

"Touché," Izuku chuckled, but suddenly went quiet when he heard footsteps.

The cat took off first, its body blending in with the darkness. Izuku quickly followed, ducking behind one of the trash cans. He made his body as small as possible, watching as the people's shadows passed by his hiding spot.

"This the place?" a gruff voice asked.

Izuku peeked out carefully and squinted through the dark. He could make out two large figures standing in front of what looked like a kid. There was no way he was older than Izuku. He had to be ten years old, maybe less.

"Better be," the taller one growled before shoving the boy a little. Izuku had to restrain himself from jumping out right then and there. So much for staying hidden.

"I swear to god, brat. If you're lying to us…"

"I'm not. I-I promise," the small boy shook his head. His clothes were extremely dirty and dozens of bruises covered his arms and legs. Izuku's body ached just by looking at him. He couldn't help but wonder when the boy had last eaten too, his face gaunt and hollow. "Red will be here with your money. Like they said on the call. Just– just please don't hurt my sister."

Sister? Izuku frowned and leaned forward a little more. He didn't see another child anywhere around. Did they have her trapped somewhere else?

"Can't guarantee anything till we get the dough, kid," the man said with a shrug.

Should I act now? Izuku gripped the sides of the trash can anxiously.

Or should I wait until this Red person shows up? Izuku sat back on his heels and chewed on his bottom lip. He hadn't planned on running into anyone until later on during the night, especially not more than one person at once. And while this didn't seem like a hostage situation, it was obvious that the boy was in danger in more ways than one. Izuku figured he was only working for them because of the situation with his sister. Would it be wise to attack then?

He briefly glanced back at the boy and then at the men.

What would happen to the girl if he attacked them? Would she be okay? Or would they hurt her as revenge?

"Tick tock, tick tock," the taller man said suddenly. The disgust in his tone chilled Izuku's bones. "I don't see 'em anywhere. Where's your buddy, Hirobe?"

"I–I already told you." The boy was visibly shaking now. "They said they would come—"

A sharp cry pierced the air as the man struck Hirobe across the face. Izuku watched in horror as his tiny body flew backward and collided against the wall of the alley. For a while, Hirobe didn't move and the men started approaching again.

"Well, why don't we have a little fun with you while we wait then?" the other one said, cracking his knuckles.

"Fujio, hand me the knife."

Izuku's breath hitched in his throat.

"Which one?" the other asked and then they both laughed.

Izuku clenched his fists and realized he was shaking, the rage building up in his body and concentrating in his palms. He could feel his heart beating throughout his hands too, pumping harder and faster as the men got closer to Hirobe's body.

What could he do to stop them?

He couldn't really see anything useful to use and the men were twice his size. There's no way his pocket knife would work.

While Izuku looked around, he also made a mental note to buy something that would let him see through the dark. He felt like an idiot for forgetting to put it on his list. What else was he missing?

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Izuku glared at the ground. If only there was a way he could see...

Wait a minute. My threads! Izuku thought suddenly as he closed his eyes and then opened them again. Much like at the convenience store, he was greeted with the lines going to and from his body as they connected with various parts of the world around him, showing him the way.

He still couldn't see much, but he could rely on the size of the threads to calculate his options. He followed the thickest one and watched in surprise as it stopped at a black trash bag by his left (at least he hoped it had trash inside). It looked quite heavy though, so Izuku had ruled it out before, but the thread seemed reliable enough. Maybe his quirk had gotten stronger because he had been practicing?

Just as Izuku started moving the bag with his hand, however, two gunshots rang through the air.

Izuku dropped it immediately and fell backward, his heart beating wildly out of his chest. He probably screamed but didn't hear himself over the sound of the second shot.

Then there was silence.

Izuku slowly got up on trembling arms.

Had the police come? No, he would've heard the sirens.

"Good job, Hirobe," a strange voice said, answering his question almost immediately.

Izuku relaxed a little but then tensed just as fast.

Good job? What did that mean?

He hesitantly glanced over at where Hirobe's body lay and his stomach dropped. On the floor in front of him were the two bodies of the older men. And standing on top of one of them was a new figure. This one wore a black mask with a single red stripe down the middle. Izuku couldn't tell if they were a boy or a girl, but they seemed a little older than himself. Could this be 'Red'?

"I was starting to think they might get you this time. My little decoy," they purred, bending down to pat Hirobe's head. Red then moved over to the bodies and grabbed a suitcase Izuku hadn't seen before. Was Red after whatever was inside? Were they only using Hirobe as a way to get to it?

The nasty feeling in Izuku's stomach only got worse as he watched their strange interaction play out. Hirobe still seemed to be unconscious so he didn't say anything, but Red kept talking.

"Thank you for being so patient. I won't be late next time."

So they are working together, Izuku decided with a frown. He was willing to bet the poor boy was only doing it because of his sister.

"But, unfortunately, things have changed," Red said as they suddenly kicked Hirobe in the stomach.

Izuku heard the boy whimper in his unconscious state.

"I don't need you anymore."

Another kick, this one made Izuku's eyes water. He couldn't imagine how the boy must be feeling. Hopefully, Hirobe was too out of it to realize what was going on. But Izuku knew he couldn't let this continue on any further.

"So, now, I'm going to kill you," Red leaned towards him, "and then I'm going to kill your sister too. How's that sound, Hirobe?"

"That's enough," Izuku said, jumping out from his hiding place. Red froze immediately but didn't turn around. Izuku watched as they straightened their back instead and stepped away from Hirobe's body. They weren't as buff as the previous guys, but Izuku didn't stand a chance fighting close range with a gun involved.

Not unless…

Izuku didn't know how it happened.

One minute, Red had their back towards him and aimed the gun, the next, Izuku had pulled the weapon out of their hands, flinging it far away.

Red immediately whirled around, but Izuku didn't give them any time to react. He took advantage of the fact that they had moved in front of one of the dead bodies and kicked them hard, causing them to trip.

"GAH, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Red yelled as they fell. Izuku backed them into the wall, pointing his pocket knife at them shakily. He knew he should have knocked Red out, but Izuku wanted to make sure Hirobe's sister would be okay.

"Where is she?" he asked, trying to keep the fear from showing up in his voice. It was hard to talk when his whole body was still recovering from the last few seconds.

"Tell me where Hirober's sister is!"

Izuku still couldn't believe he had managed to pull away the gun so fast. His own body had just seemed to know what to do as if it went on autopilot and completely synced with his quirk.

He could feel the smirk in Red's voice as they spoke. The mask they wore made it a little hard to hear, but Izuku got the message.

"Nice try, kid. Don't know how you did all that earlier, but I'm not telling you shit."

And then they uppercut him in the jaw and took off in the other direction, grabbing the suitcase along the way.

Izuku cursed, stumbling backward. He didn't even get a chance to react because Red was so fast, tiny stars appearing in his vision.

Should I go after them? Izuku asked himself but stopped when he heard Hirobe speak.

"Asami..?" the boy asked weakly, turning on his side with a groan. "M-my sister," Hirobe met Izuku's gaze, "is she okay?"

Izuku opened his mouth to speak but the sound of a siren cut him off. His heart skipped a beat and he leaned forward so Hirobe could hear him.

"Do you know where she is?" Izuku asked, as kindly as possible. He refrained from touching the boy and stayed at a comfortable distance.

It took Hirobe a while to answer, but eventually, the boy nodded.

"Y-yes. I think so."

Izuku nodded too and glanced back. He could see the red and blue colors of the police cars fast approaching.

"Can you tell the police where she is?"

Hirobe's eyes widened suddenly and he started to shake. "N-no. I can't."

Izuku furrowed his brows together. Whoever had been giving him orders probably told him to stay away from the police.

"What if I tell them where she is instead?"

Hirobe looked at him for a few seconds and then nodded again.

"Okay," he said quietly, lowering his gaze.

Once the boy finished telling Izuku where his sister could be, he waited a little longer for the police to get close. That way he could make sure Hirobe stayed safe. He managed to convince the boy that they could help him too. Then, as the first cop started walking out, Izuku took off towards the abandoned factory, completely unaware that Eraserhead was the one who had appeared.

—

Thirty minutes later of sprinting and wheezing, Izuku found Asami exactly where Hirobe said she would be. Her tiny body was knocked out and tied to a post on the second floor of the factory.

While he ran, Izuku had been mentally preparing himself to fight again. But when he arrived, there was no one around. It must have only been the two men holding her hostage.

"Asami?" he asked through a whisper, bending down to check her pulse. Izuku breathed out a sigh of relief when he felt her heartbeat and then quickly pulled out the phone he had taken from one of Hirobe's attackers to call the police.

"Hi. I'm at the abandoned factory in the downtown Musutafu area. There's a little girl here. She needs help."

He hung up before they could ask him anything else. Izuku would destroy the phone later.

Then, for the next fifteen minutes, Izuku waited for the cops to show up. He didn't know if it would be the same ones from earlier, but he watched as a tall, young woman stepped out of the car first. Her hand hovered over the gun in her belt and she moved into the space carefully.

"Hello? Is there someone here? This is the police. Step out where I can see you and put your hands up in the air!"

Izuku had to bite his tongue to keep from yelling out her name.

That is not Mt. Lady, he scolded himself with a frown, watching as the blonde carefully moved closer to where he was.

"All clear," someone said from behind.

Officer Takeyama immediately rushed towards Asami, completely missing him. Izuku pressed his back against the wall. Finally, he could rest.

"She's breathing. Nishiya, did you call the ambulance?"

"They're on their way," the familiar, yet distant voice of Kamui Woods, who was not Kamui Woods, but Officer Nishiya, could be heard as he appeared by Takeyama's side. It was strange to see his skin without all the wood covering it up. Izuku found himself gawking at the pair.

"Oh my god. This poor girl. Is Aizawa with the brother?" Takeyama asked, scooping Asami up carefully.

That made Izuku sit up.

Eraserhead was here?

"Yes. But I think he went to chase down whoever shot that gun. Come on, let's get out of here."

Izuku sucked in a breath and closed his eyes when they passed him, but they never even noticed he was there. Eventually, the police car disappeared and the world was quiet again.

It took him a while to move, but when he did, Izuku realized just how much pain he was in. Walking was even worse and Izuku didn't get far as he stopped to lean on a tree. There were so many threads blocking his vision and no matter how many times he blinked, they wouldn't go away. It was as if his own quirk was malfunctioning.

Did I overuse it? he managed to ask himself before throwing up all over the grass.

Once he finished emptying out his stomach, the threads started to go away but his headache remained. A constant pounding in his head that kept reminding him of his inexperience. Of all the mistakes he had made in the past hour and a half.

I let Red get away, Izuku thought while his body slumped to the floor. He didn't even care that he was out in the open.

How am I going to be a vigilante if I let my first target slip through my fingers? Izuku groaned as he turned over on his back to face the stars. They seemed to wink and he wondered if they were laughing at him.

Would Hirobe ever be able to laugh again? Smile? Asami seemed very young so maybe she wouldn't remember what had happened. But at the same time, Izuku didn't know how long they had been trapped in that situation. How much they had endured. He didn't even want to think about it. All those bruises on Hirobe's arms and legs...

The thought made him sick to his stomach again but nothing came out this time. Izuku only stared at the floor until his vision blurred and he realized he was crying.

I have to get better, he decided after a long time passed. The stars had shifted a little bit now and the moon was hovering directly above him. Instead of laughing though, it seemed to be silently judging him.

Asking him, 'will you give up?' in a powerful, booming voice that he imagined could shake the land.

No, Izuku thought while sitting up slowly. He wiped at his eyes and cleaned off the grass from his hoodie.

Because I'm the only one who can help.

—

The morning after his encounter with Red, Izuku realized he needed more than just a disguise for his work. His jaw was very badly bruised and he had no idea how to cover it up.

'How to cover up a bruise,' he typed into his laptop's search engine, eyes still blurry from all the crying he did last night.

The first result suggested concealer. The second, foundation. Maybe his mother had some?

"Izuku? You're going to be late for school. Do you want me to tell them you're not showing up today?" his mother's gentle voice asked from the door. Izuku had to physically restrain himself from running to her and blurting everything out. Even though he hated keeping secrets, the last thing he wanted was a repeat meltdown from last week.

"Um, no. That's okay," Izuku shifted a little in his seat and closed his laptop. "I'm getting ready right now."

Then, after a slight hesitation, he spoke again.

"Mom… do you have concealer?"

Inko was quiet from the other side of the door.

"Or… or even foundation," Izuku added quickly.

"Izuku… you want to wear makeup?" his mother asked quietly.

Izuku nodded to no one but himself but then realized what she must have thought he meant.

"Ah, no! Y-yes. Maybe?" He narrowed his gaze at the floor as his face went bright red. He was really glad she wasn't in the room right now.

Inko didn't say anything at first and he felt the need to explain himself again.

"I just have this—"

"Izuku, it's okay," she said after a while. Her voice seemed softer than usual. "If you want to start wearing makeup, then I think that's lovely. I'll go get my purse."

Izuku blinked and stared at the door. That was definitely not the direction he wanted the conversation to go in, but hey, he wasn't going to complain. All that mattered was that Izuku covered up his bruise. He could clear everything up later.

"Thanks, mom."

—

The walk to school was familiar but also strange.

Why?

Because Katsuki Bakugou was walking with him.

Izuku knew he should've booked it the second he saw the blonde hair, but his legs were still sore from running around yesterday.

And now, they walked on in silence.

Every now and then, Izuku would sneak a glance at him because he still couldn't believe this was actually happening right now.

I'm walking to school with Kacchan, he thought while trying not to bump his shoulder.

And he hasn't killed me or yelled at me yet. Back then, it was all he could have ever asked for. But now, it just made him uncomfortable.

"Eyes on the road. We're about to cross, dumbass," the blonde said without looking at him.

Izuku sucked in a breath and nodded quickly, turning his attention to the street as the light turned red.

Should I say something? Izuku asked himself, clutching the straps of his backpack tightly. The last time he had tried to talk to him, Bakugou had chucked him across the floor and burned another one of his notebooks.

Maybe not, Izuku gulped.

Bakugou however, had different plans.

When they reached the gates of Aldera, he stepped out in front of Izuku to stop him.

Oh, no. He was waiting to hurt me in front of everyone at school, Izuku's heart skipped a beat and he quickly squeezed his eyes shut.

Go ahead, Kacchan. Do your worst.

But the blow never came. Instead, Bakugou's fingers grasped Izuku's chin and tilted it up gently.

"Who did this to you?"

Izuku's entire body froze.

"Wh-what?" he asked, too afraid to open his eyes and face Bakugou.

"I'm not an idiot, Deku! I can tell you got your ass handed to you and you tried to fucking cover it."

"Did a shitty ass job too," the blonde mumbled under his breath before letting him go and standing back a little.

Izuku slightly opened his eyes and noticed Bakugou was glaring at him expectantly.

"Well?" He raised a thin, blonde brow.

"I, umm."

What should I do? Should I lie? Izuku wondered anxiously. No. The Bakugou he knew had always been good at telling whenever he was lying. He didn't think that much had changed.

"N-no way," Izuku said, avoiding Bakugou's scrutinizing gaze.

"What?" The blonde growled.

"Is–Is that the bell? I think I just heard the bell, let's go. I don't want to be late on my first day back! We can talk later. Bye Kacchan, thanks for walking with me," Izuku rushed off before Bakugou could stop him, taking the shortcut he always used when the bullies chased him. The path wasn't as worn out in this world and Izuku even had a little trouble getting past all the tall weeds. Eventually, though, he made it to the other side of campus and stood outside his classroom trying to catch his breath.

Izuku slid down the wall with shaky knees. This was going to be a very long day.

—

Luckily, Bakugou didn't bother him after that. The blonde even seemed to be keeping his distance. It let Izuku focus on his classes which he found to be surprisingly easy for some reason. He never even remembered learning this stuff but completed all the mock exams and worksheets without breaking a sweat. His teachers were nice to him, and so were the other kids, walking up to him and asking him how he was doing since the accident. He even got a couple of get-well-soon cards and candy.

Izuku couldn't think of the last time he was actually looking forward to coming back to school. And he would've made it home with a smile on his face too if Bakugou hadn't called out to him before he left.

Well, I managed to survive this long, Izuku thought to himself before turning around and facing the taller blonde.

To his surprise, Bakugou didn't say anything and simply handed him a flyer.

"Wh-what's this?" Izuku asked, taking it from him hesitantly. It was some kind of advertisement for a nearby gym. He recognized Bakugou's penmanship on the side with little notes that indicated the other classes they offered as well. Anything from kick-boxing to self-defense courses at various times during the day.

Wait a minute, Izuku's eyes widened suddenly. I can use this for vigilante training! It's perfect!

"Starting tomorrow we're heading to the gym every day before class."

'We're?' Izuku paused and then frantically shook his head. "K-Kacchan, that's okay. I can go alone. You don't have to come with me."

The greenette was panicking. Him and Bakugou at a gym? He could barely handle texting him, let alone walking with him to school. What if Bakugou wanted to use him as his own punching bag? What if he pushed him off the treadmill? What if he stole his clothes when they were changing and Izuku had to walk home naked? What if—

"GOD SHUT UP! Your mumbling is hurting my head," Bakugou growled.

Izuku flushed red and bit down on his tongue hard, staring down at his feet. "Sorry," he said quietly.

"Ugh, look. I'm not gonna force you to talk about it if you don't want to. But I ain't gonna let whoever did that keep fucking you around," Bakugou cracked his knuckles loudly. "So, we either go together or you tell me who it was and I teach them a lesson."

When Izuku looked up he nearly passed out. He had to remind himself that the devilish smirk that formed on the blonde's face was not directed at him, but it was still unnerving nonetheless.

"Kacchan, I don't know what to say. I—"

"Just fucking say yes, Deku," Bakugou rolled his eyes. "Wait, does aunty know?" he asked suddenly, his voice taking on an edge of concern.

Izuku bit his bottom lip, but then slowly shook his head. Might as well be a little honest.

The blonde nodded. "Alright. I won't tell her then. But I swear to god if you don't get stronger—"

"Okay, okay!" Izuku threw up his arms in defeat. His classmates were starting to stare. "I'll be ready tomorrow. I swear."

"Good," the blonde grinned triumphantly. "Now, let's go. I heard that new place down the street has some not-so-shitty katsudon."

"Katsudon?" Izuku frowned, shoving the paper in his bag quickly.

Bakugou rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Isn't that your favorite? Or did you forget that too?"

Izuku could only stare open-mouthed as Bakugou started walking in front of him. He didn't know if he would ever be able to get used to this.

—

That night, Izuku wasn't sure he had the energy to go out. But when he had another dream about Hisobe and Asami being tortured by Red, he quickly sprang up out of bed and started lacing up his shoes.

I hope they're okay, he thought sadly. Izuku hadn't heard anything from the news about the two children but he figured they were in good hands now. It would probably take them a while to assimilate back into society anyway and he wished them well.

Although he wouldn't be going out as far as he had the first time, Izuku still figured he should get some practice in with his quirk. He hadn't used it all day, too focused on whatever alien had hijacked his best friend's body and turned him into a completely different person. He could see the movie posters hanging in the theatre already; directed by Ridley Scott himself. It almost made him laugh out loud and he quickly covered his mouth.

Does Kacchan actually care about me? Izuku wondered with a confused smile. On his way out, however, Izuku passed by a picture in the living room and stopped. He didn't remember it being here before and he certainly didn't recognize the memory either.

Izuku had to be around four years old in the image and was sitting atop a police officer's shoulders. Even before he saw the man's face, Izuku knew that it was his father, Hisashi's wild hair sticking out in random directions as if the wind was blowing it around. Little Izuku was smiling in the photo too, waving what he recognized to be an All Might figurine in one hand, and a medal in the other.

Izuku didn't realize he was frowning until he relaxed his face.

There's no way this ever happened, he narrowed his gaze at Hishashi's face. His father looked happy, his face beaming up at Izuku almost proudly. It was an emotion Izuku didn't recognize from the man and it startled him a little bit. But most of all, it made him angry. After Hisashi left them, Inko had done her best to remove any photos of him around the house. They didn't need a reminder of the abuse.

Izuku reached over and tipped the frame so the picture wasn't facing up. Then, he finished walking out of his house and immediately took off running. The familiar rage and bitterness of anything that had to do with his father started building up in his body and he used it as energy to pump his burning legs.

Bakugou might have been different in this world, but there was no way Hisashi hadn't stayed the same.

Izuku eyed a couple of stacked boxes to his left and immediately threw out his hand. The sound of whatever was inside breaking and hitting the floor made him feel a little better but it still wasn't enough. When he rounded a corner, he saw a couple of trash cans and flung them out of his way.

By the time he was done making a mess of the street, Izuku sank to his knees breathing heavily. A mixture of tears and sweat dripped down his face but he didn't bother wiping any of it away.

He ended up spending the rest of the night putting the trash back into the bins with his quirk. It served as practice and made him feel less bad for what he had done. He didn't run into any bad guys either and he was almost glad.

Izuku didn't know how he would've reacted if he saw someone that reminded him of his father.

I found it surprisingly easy to write this chapter, even with all the scene shifts and the semi-action moment in the beginning! When it comes to writing really heavy stuff though, I will always try and add in funny or lighthearted moments when I can. That way things don't get too intense. However, once we get deeper into the story, well, things might be bad all around. So, enjoy it while it lasts :D

Also, in this house we stan Mama Inko! Look at her being so supportive of her son! Go off, sis. Ugh, such a queen 333

Oh, and it's definitely a headcanon of mine that Katsuki is someone who uses abbreviations and improper grammar when he texts. And only because he can't be bothered to spell out the full words. He is impatient as all heck.

But yeah, wow these chapters keep getting longer and longer. I think I'm a little too obsessed with writing this story. Hope y'all are loving it as much as I am :)