A/N - Yes! Another chapter for this story already! What a shocker. lol
Anywho, this chapter took a while to write, but I was so eager to write it that I couldn't help myself. One thing I need to warn you about is that most of this story deals with detectives doing detective stuff. :P As a result of this, there aren't a lot of scenes with Izuku, unfortunately. Still, there's a reason why I wrote this chapter the way I did. I just hope you enjoy reading all of it!
'Kay, I'm gonna cut this short. My shoulder is killing me and I need to take something to at least dull the pain for a bit. x.x; Sooo, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 2 – Detective Work
Inko found herself yawning as she fumbled around for her phone in the darkness of her room. She had just barely dozed into a peaceful slumber when her phone suddenly began to play her ringtone, one right from one of her son's favorite songs. It was a catchy melody and she found herself loving the music, just as much as her son did.
Realizing she had lost herself to her thoughts, Inko redoubled her efforts to find and answer the damn phone. "Ugh. Who could be calling me so late at night?" she wondered aloud as her fingers finally brushed over the object she had been searching for. Unplugging her cell from the charger, she answered the call and mumbled out a sleepy, "Hello?"
"Oh Inko, something horrible has happened! I'm sorry if I woke you up, but I didn't know who else to call. They're saying…" the voice of Mitsuki could be heard saying.
Before Mitsuki could ramble on a bit more, Inko let out a tired yawn and began to rub at her eyes. "I guess this is about Katsuki?" Hearing an affirmative answer from her friend, the green-haired woman nodded once and said, "Did they tell you the charges?"
Inko could practically hear Mitsuki blinking on the other end as she asked, "How'd you know…?"
"That Katsuki was arrested? It's not just him. The police have taken the principal into custody as well. You see, I'm the one that pressed charges against them. I'm sorry, Mitsuki, but your son attempted to kill my poor Izuku today. Knocked him right off the roof of the school building. I know my Izuku says it wasn't intentional, but the point stands that Katsuki could have killed my son. And the principal decided to try and sweep the whole incident under the rug, alongside all the abuse my son has suffered." Inko explained, sounding rather agitated now. Despite her desire to sleep for at least another hour or so, the petite woman was now quite awake, much to her irritation.
Mitsuki gasped and said somewhat shakily, "Katsuki…did that? Dammit! Inko, I'm sorry. And I'm sorry to ask this, but…"
"Is there any way I can help settle this? Mitsuki, you're my best friend, but I'm not about to stick my neck out for Katsuki. Not after what he's put my son through. I'm sorry, I really am. But your son isn't some hero in the making. He's a villain in the making. People have praised him so much for having such a powerful quirk and it's all gone to his head. He thinks he can just get away with everything because people have pampered him and put him on a throne in the belief that they'll be rewarded for it later. Your son is a delusional psychopath that belongs behind bars where he can't hurt anyone else like he's hurt my Izuku. I know you've tried to raise him right, and I don't blame you or your husband for the way Katsuki turned out. But he needs to learn his lesson, and realize that he isn't quite as special and above the law as he thinks he is." Inko explained, trying her absolute best to keep the anger and frustration out of her voice. It wouldn't do anyone any good if she suddenly started yelling at her dearest friend. Besides that, Izuku was likely already asleep, so she didn't want to accidentally wake him up because she lost her temper.
Again, Inko could practically hear Mitsuki blinking on the other end of the line. "I…I see. Then…w-what should I do, Inko? I know he's done bad things, horrible things, even…but he's still my son. My instinct is still to protect him and hold him, never to let him go again. I don't know what to do, Inko."
Inko sighed and said, "Mitsuki, all you can do is be there for him. Or at least try to be. You may find that your son is a lost cause, unable to be helped. If I were you, I'd look into getting a good lawyer. However, you should know that we'll be looking into hiring the best lawyer we can afford, as well. Maybe your lawyer could get Katsuki off with a warning, if you're lucky, but we're not going to go easy on him just because he's a child. And you don't need to worry, we don't have any plans to sue you or your husband over your son's actions. The principal and the school, on the other hand? They're doomed, plain and simple."
Mitsuki nodded and said, "Of course. Thank you, Inko. And for what it's worth…I'm sorry. I should have done more to rein him in. I should have done something to fix all of this. But I failed. I…I'm a…"
If Inko could have, she'd have reached through her phone to smack Mitsuki in the back of the head for daring to even think such a thing. "Don't do this to yourself Mitsuki. You're not a bad mother, and you aren't a failure. You did nothing wrong. Besides, we've all made mistakes. Lord knows I failed my little boy for most of his life. When he was deemed quirkless…I should have said or done something different, something to encourage Izuku. Instead, what I said only hurt him and made everything so much worse. I regret what I said. But, I'm doing everything I can now to make up for hurting him."
"So, if your son somehow gets through this and is released, do what you can to make up for whatever mistakes you feel you've made. Guide him and help him to be a better person. Because, if you don't, he'll really end up killing someone someday, and then there will be no helping him. So, as I said before, I think you should look into hiring the best defense lawyer you can get. Maybe, if your son is lucky, he'll get off with community service and mandatory anger management classes. But what he's facing right now are some serious crimes. And, just so you know, if Katsuki does get set free, I'll be filing a restraining order for my son. I won't let Katsuki get anywhere NEAR my Izuku. And if that means Katsuki's acceptance into U.A. is jeopardized because Izuku is there, then so be it. Nobody hurts my baby and gets away with it." Inko finished, a determined glare on her face.
Mitsuki giggled sadly and said, "For what it's worth…I'm sorry Inko. Give Izuku my warmest regards. And…thank you."
After her friend hung up, Inko put her cell phone back on the charger and flopped backwards on her bed, her heads hitting the pillows. Moving her arms up to cover her eyes, she let out a long, frustrated sigh. Mitsuki… For what it's worth, I am sorry things turned out this way.
It was at this moment that she heard a scream coming from her son's room. In a panic, she tried to throw off her blankets and hurry to her son's room…but ended up in a tangled mess of blankets on her floor instead. Squirming to free herself from the dastardly trap, she soon stood up, slipped on some slippers, and hurried to her son's room. Entering, she saw her son sitting ramrod straight in bed. He was taking in some deep, heavy breaths and his eyes were unfocused, his gaze appearing to be on his hands.
Frowning, Inko walked over to her son's bed and sat down beside him. Pulling him into a hug, she began to gently stroke his hair. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
Blinking a couple of times, Izuku started to calm down as he felt his mother's embrace. Looking into her eyes almost robotically, he said, "Y-Yeah. I kept…I kept seeing Bakugo and some villains killing me in various ways. And…and I kept falling off of that building again. Then I saw All Might…laughing at me. I…I don't know how to explain everything I saw. I just felt so afraid of everything. Hitting the ground? It hurt so much. I know I've tried to downplay it whenever I brought it up, but, when I came to…it hurt so much. And my regeneration does nothing to dull the pain, even when it's putting my bones back in place or healing the smallest cuts. All I feel is pain. It hurts so much. And…"
Tears trickling down his cheeks, he clung to his mother and said, "Mom, they were hurting you. They couldn't hurt me anymore, so they started hurting you. And nothing I did could stop them. I felt so weak. I don't have a body augmentation quirk like other people do, such as All Might and Ingenium. I'm just plain, weak Deku, unable to do anything while you and I are hurting. I don't want to be weak anymore, Mom."
Running her fingers through Izuku's messy green hair, she smiled sadly at him and said, "It'll all be okay sweetie. No matter what happens or the pain you may feel, you've been blessed with two wonderful quirks. So you might not be the strongest hero around. That's not a big deal. You can still be a great hero. Just because you can't go toe-to-toe with some of the villains out there doesn't mean anything. You can be a rescue hero, like that Thirteen person you've mentioned. You can save people, Izuku. You just have to believe in yourself. Besides, we're going to train and you're going to become a strong, wonderful young man. And, if it helps any, I'll be training right alongside you. I do need to get back into shape, after all."
Izuku chuckled softly and said, "Thanks Mom. Can…can we just stay like this for a while?"
"Sure, sweetheart. Whatever you need." Inko said as she continued to pet her son's hair. I swear, everything will be alright. You'll be the hero you were always meant to be. I'll make sure of it.
Police Station
"THE HELL DO YOU MEAN ATTEMPTED MURDER?!" Katsuki exclaimed angrily as he glared across the room at a detective.
The detective sighed and cast a glance at the two-way mirror. He just knew that the chief and his fellow detectives were smirking at him, even if he couldn't see them. I swear, they threw me in here with this kid just to blow out my damn eardrums. The kid's loud and annoying as hell.
Turning around to face the teen, the detective said, "It's exactly what it sounds like. It has come to our attention that you shoved a classmate of yours off the school roof earlier in the day. If it wasn't for his quirks, he would have died. If that isn't attempted murder, I'm not quite sure what is."
"SO THAT LITTLE SHIT'S THE REASON I'M IN HERE?! WHEN I'M FREE FROM HERE, I'LL TEACH THAT DEKU A DAMN LESSON!" Katsuki exclaimed angrily.
The detective couldn't resist it as he facepalmed himself. Slowly dragging his fingers down his face, he let out a groan of annoyance. "You really aren't helping yourself here, kid. Besides that, you're not even going to deny the fact you attempted to kill your classmate?"
Katsuki froze for a moment as he stared down at his hands. He knew he was in deep shit now. "I wasn't trying to kill Deku." He said quietly, barely loud enough for the detective to hear. "I only wanted to teach him a lesson. Him falling off the roof was a complete accident. Why would I kill someone when I'm so close to getting into U.A.?! I'm going to be the greatest hero there ever was! Better even than All Might! I can't afford to fuck things up now. You have to let me go!"
Frowning at the young man, the detective shook his head and said, "Accident or not, you could have killed him. I can tell that you've got one hell of a temper on you. Tell me kid, just how inflated is your ego? From what I understand, nobody's ever really told you 'No' before, have they? All of your transgressions have been swept under the rug by that principal of yours." Seeing the look on Bakugo's face, the detective nodded once and said, "Oh, we know the truth alright. The principal, the teachers, even your fellow classmates, have all praised you so much for being so smart and having a powerful quirk. What if I told you that you really aren't that special? Having a powerful quirk doesn't mean you'll be a great hero. There's far more to being a hero than you think. As for you? As it stands, you don't really have any hope of becoming one. Your attitude is a huge detriment to your efforts. You're volatile, and you've made it clear that you enjoy hurting others, especially your classmate, Izuku Midoriya. Or so, that's what I've heard from some eyewitnesses."
Shrugging his shoulders, the detective stared into Katsuki's eyes and asked, "Why do you want to be a hero anyways? There has to be some reason. So enlighten me."
Katsuki looked at the detective like he was an idiot at this point. "I'm going to be the best there ever was. I'm going to prove that I'm more powerful than any of the heroes out there. I'll never lose and I'll crush whatever villains get in my way. And don't insult me by saying I'm not 'special'. As far as I'm concerned, you're just another obstacle to overcome."
The detective shook his head exasperatedly and said, "Arrogance born of too much pride. I hope you can find a good lawyer, kid. You're going to need one."
Leaving the room, the detective soon entered through the other door beside the interrogation room. "That kid's in need of one serious reality check. I hate to see a kid be so far gone like this. But, I suppose that's what happens when you've been spoiled your entire life and told your quirk will make you a great hero. Damn kid doesn't even know what it's like. He just wants the glory. Tch."
The police chief shrugged as he stared through the mirror at Katsuki Bakugo. "Good work in there detective. Now, why don't we see how Detective Hisui is faring, shall we?" he suggested as he turned around to watch another interrogation taking place with Principal Henrickson.
The detective joined the chief at his side, staring through the two-way mirror at his partner. "What are your thoughts on this guy, chief?"
The chief glanced sideways at the detective and said, "He's arrogant and greedy. It won't take much to make him crack, if your partner approaches this the right way." The detective, a man known as Rando simply nodded in response as both he and the chief watched the interrogation taking place.
"I demand to know why I've been brought here! What charges have you fools arrested me for?! I've done nothing wrong!" Henrickson exclaimed angrily.
Detective Hisui stared calmly at the man, letting him rant for a time before she finally began to speak. "Now that I have your attention, we can begin. The charges filed against you are quite serious Mr. Henrickson. Reckless endangerment of a student, neglecting to inform the authorities about illegal quirk usage outside of a designated training facility, trying to cover up a rather serious crime, and the list goes on. You knew that one of your students was suffering from constant bullying, and you did nothing to remedy this fact. In fact, you apparently encouraged such behavior. Mr. Katsuki Bakugo has gotten away with illegally using his quirk to terrorize his fellow student, and you did NOTHING, Mr. Henrickson."
"Today, Mr. Bakugo, in a fit of rage, shoved a student by the name of Izuku Midoriya off of the school rooftop. Were it anyone else, they would have perished. However, Mr. Midoriya survived due in no small part thanks to his quirks. Now, according to the police report filed earlier today by concerned citizens that witnessed this horrendous act, young Bakugo didn't mean for this to happen. A convenient excuse, but one that won't fly in court. You, on the other hand, face quite the serious charge here, Mr. Henrickson."
"According to eyewitnesses and the testimony of a concerned party, you wanted to sweep the whole incident under the rug. Katsuki Bakugo is a heavily favored student and your precious golden boy of Aldera. You wanted to use him to raise your own standing and popularity in the public eye. After all, Bakugo has a great chance of becoming a world-famous hero someday. Or, at least he had the chance." Hisui said, carefully gauging the principal's reactions as she explained the circumstances leading up to the arrest of both Henrickson and Bakugo. "It is in your best interest to be honest with me. Did you, or did you not, encourage Katsuki Bakugo's behavior? Did you threaten to expel Izuku Midoriya if he spoke in his own defense? And finally, did you truly try to cover up a case of attempted murder?"
Henrickson was sweating profusely as his mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. When he finally got himself and his nerves under control, he said, "T-T-That's a lie! Whoever told you all of that was clearly fibbing! I would n-never do such a thing! You have to believe me!"
Hisui raised an eyebrow and allowed the tiniest of smirks to gently tug at her lips. "I see. So, it's your word against theirs then, is it? Tell me Mr. Henrickson, who do you think a jury is going to believe? If we can convince Mr. Midoriya to testify against you in a trial, would the public believe him…or you? An unassuming young man with a troubled past against you. I guess if you'd like to take your chances in a courtroom, you're more than welcome to. But, if you come clean now, we might be able to work out a deal of sorts. The ball is in your court now, Mr. Henrickson."
Principal Henrickson felt himself beginning to panic more and more as the seconds ticked on by. If he told the truth, he was doomed. There'd be no coming back from making such a mistake. And yet, if he continued to lie and he was caught in such a lie, he was utterly screwed. Though, he could take his chances in court. Who knows? They might take pity on him and buy into his story! There was no way they'd convict him on such meager charges…right? There wasn't even any evidence! The only way he could lose is if Izuku Midoriya had the balls to testify against him in a courtroom. But, who would believe a young man over someone of his social standing?
Nodding his head as he came to a decision, Henrickson offered Detective Hisui his most disarming smile and said, "I'm not confessing to anything. After all, I have done nothing wrong. If you decide to press the issue in a courtroom, you'll quickly see just how pointless it is. Besides that, young Bakugo has done nothing wrong. He's got such a bright future ahead of him, and there's no way he would jeopardize his opportunity to enter U.A. High. So go ahead, take us to court if you must. I guarantee that we'll be let off with a simple slap on the wrist, if even that."
Hisui nodded once and said, "Very well. When you're found guilty and convicted for your crimes, do not say we refused to cut you a deal." And with that, she left the room and rejoined her fellow detective and chief of police. "Well, that went about as I expected. What do you want to do, chief?"
The police chief frowned deeply as he looked between Bakugo and Henrickson. "If neither of them is willing to cooperate, then we really don't have much of a choice. We'll take this to court and hope that justice is served. We just have to hope we get a jury sympathetic to young Midoriya's plight. Too many people place stock in powerful quirks these days, believing the bearers to be above the law. If only we had some cold, hard evidence that would sway a jury to our cause." Almost as if a lightbulb went off in his head, the chief's eyes widened and he looked at the detectives. "See if there's any cameras that might have caught what really happened. And interrogate Henrickson's secretary as well. See if you can get her to cooperate with us and tell us what she heard. And find Bakugo's friends, lackeys, whatever you want to call them. Get them to tell you what they witnessed. If we get some actual eyewitness accounts from them, that will help sway the judge and jury to our cause. Get on it."
"Yes sir!" the two detectives exclaimed before they left the room.
Once he was alone with just the view of Bakugo and Henrickson, the police chief frowned deeply and said, "As it stands now, it's his word against theirs. We've got our work cut out for us here." At this point, he blinked a couple of times as a thought occurred to him. "That's it! Perhaps I could make use of her to work a confession out of him." And with that, he left the room to go and speak to Mrs. Bakugo.
As he ventured towards the waiting area, he spotted Mitsuki Bakugo fidgeting, barely managing to sit still. Grabbing her a cup of coffee, he joined her and handed her the cup with a warm smile on his face. "Hello ma'am. Would you mind coming with me for a while?"
Mitsuki gingerly took the cup of coffee from the police chief and nodded in thanks. "S-Sure. Can I ask how my son is doing? What's going to happen to him?"
The chief remained silent as he led her towards the interrogation rooms. Entering the viewing room, he pointed her towards her son. "He's in there. Right now, he's handcuffed to the table with quirk suppressing cuffs. He's been violent, thrashing around in an attempt to get free. And he's also made threats against Mr. Izuku Midoriya. Were he to go free, your son has made it abundantly clear that he'll be paying young Midoriya a visit to try and punish him for saying something to us. I would like to request your assistance, Mrs. Bakugo."
Mitsuki looked into his eyes and blinked a couple of times in confusion. "My help? Whatever for, Mr. Kingsley?"
"I would like you to talk to your son. Get him to open up about what he has done to young Midoriya. And try to get him talking about how the faculty and his fellow students treat him. Just…get your son talking. The more he cooperates, the better his chances will be. Do you understand what I'm asking you to do?"
Mitsuki slowly nodded before returning her gaze to her son. "Yes. Can I talk to him now? I need to hear it straight from him."
"Of course. Go on. I'll be watching from here." The now-named Kingsley said.
Nodding in thanks again, Mitsuki proceeded to enter the interrogation room her son was held in. When he went to say something to her, she raised her hand and signaled for him to remain quiet. Sitting down in the chair opposite of him, she sighed sadly before asking, "Just what were you thinking, Katsuki? You used to be such good friends with Izuku when you two were younger. What changed?"
Katsuki scowled at his mother and said, "That annoying Deku was NEVER my friend! The bastard's always looked down on me! Treating me like we're equals when he's just a quirkless nobody! Always following me around like a lost little puppy and saying such stupid shit all the time. He should know his place!"
Frowning at her son, Mrs. Bakugo said, "Katsuki, that's a load of rubbish and you know it. Izuku has always been nice to you and you know it. Yes, you have a quirk, and yes it's powerful, but there's so much more to life than having a useful quirk or being number one. I tried to raise you right, Katsuki. I thought I was doing a good job. Then…then I learned about your bullying Izuku. So what if he was quirkless? That shouldn't mean anything to you or anyone else! And today! What the hell were you thinking Katsuki?! Trying to kill him just because you don't like him!"
Katsuki scowled and looked away from his mother. "Shut up you hag. You don't know how much of a pain in the ass Deku is. Do you know how it feels to know a nobody like him is trying to get into MY chosen high school?! He's weak and always will be! There's not a damn thing special about him! And yet he acts all high and mighty and thinks he's some damn saint or something! So what if I beat him up? He deserved it! And I wasn't trying to kill him today. I just wanted to teach the punk a lesson! But you know what? I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The world would be better off without that worthless sack of garbage! I'm the only one in that wretched school destined for U.A.! I'm the one that's going to be the world's greatest hero! And I'm not about to let some weak moron get the best of me! I wish he'd just die already and get the hell out of my way!"
If she had less control over herself and her emotions, Mitsuki would have slapped her son as hard as she could have for daring to say what he just did. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her fists tight as they rested on her lap. Closing her eyes, she counted to ten slowly, doing her best to remain calm. Once she was sure she was ready, she opened her eyes again and glared fiercely into her son's eyes. "I see. Katsuki, do you even realize how much like a villain you sound right now? Saying you'd kill Izuku if you could. I'm disappointed in you. I'm furious at you. I've decided, Katsuki. I'm not going to bail you out of this mess. Maybe spending some time behind bars will help get it through your thick head that there's more to life than just you. I know how you think, Katsuki. You treat everyone else like they're just extras in your little game. Nobody else matters to you, not even me. Tch. I just have one more question for you. If you got your dream of being a hero…what would you do? Would you save people in trouble? Rescue them from a collapsing building, for instance. Or would you put all your focus on killing the villains, damn the consequences?"
Katsuki glared at his mother and said, "If those extras can't save themselves, then they don't matter. All I care about is being the strongest and kicking some ass! Nothing else matters."
Mitsuki nodded in understanding as she rose from the chair. "I see. Thank you for answering my questions, brat." And with that, she left the room, joining Kingsley once again. "Did you get all of that?"
The police chief nodded and said, "Every word. I know that couldn't have been easy on you. If you need some time to yourself, I'll understand." Looking at Henrickson at this point, Kingsley sighed and said, "I'd send you in to speak with him, but I don't know how effective such a tactic would be."
Mitsuki nodded again and said, "True. I could try, but I doubt I'd have any success getting him to talk to me. Then again…" Glancing behind her at her son, she said, "If we could put them in the same room, we might be able to get them talking. Is that even possible?"
Kingsley scratched at his chin and his prominent beard for a moment. "Hmm, that's actually a good idea. Sorry to say this, but your son seems stupid enough that he could probably get Principal Henrickson talking pretty easily without taking the time to think things through. It's a little unorthodox, but it's worth a shot. Stay here." He said before going to enact the plan.
Once she was alone, Mitsuki couldn't help but frown at Henrickson. "I hope you suffer in Hell for what you and the others turned my little Katsuki into. Jackass."
Sometime Later – Jail Cell
When Bakugo was shoved none too kindly into a jail cell, he wasn't quite sure what to expect. Hell, he certainly didn't expect to be locked in a cell with the school principal and some idiot sleeping not even three feet away.
Shrugging it off, he sat beside Henrickson and asked, "So what the fuck'd they put you in here for? They're saying I'm in here on some bullshit charges of attempted murder and shit."
Henrickson looked down at Bakugo and shrugged. "I'm here because I was stupid enough to cover for you. I hope you realize how much trouble we're in, Bakugo. If they find out that I tried to coerce Midoriya into staying quiet about the attempted murder, I'd be in real deep shit. I'm taking my damn chances here to keep both you and me out of trouble. Right now, they've got nothing on either of us. I hope you were smart enough to keep your damn mouth shut."
Bakugo scowled up at the man, not liking the implications made. Scoffing, he turned his gaze away from the principal and said, "What? So you threatened Deku into staying quiet. Big whoop. They're accusing me of attempted murder! You really think you've got it worse, you fat shit?"
Glaring at the teenage boy, Henrickson wanted to smack him upside the head, but refrained from attempting it. "Face it Bakugo. What you did was a horrible crime. And to make things worse, I tried to cover for you. I tried to force that idiot into staying quiet so we'd be safe and we could BOTH get what we want. You moving up in the world to become a great hero, and I'd receive all the fame for helping to mold you into the great hero you were always meant to be. Can you imagine how that would make the school look? Tch. I doubt you've even so much as thought that far ahead. Too damn full of yourself to care. You probably wouldn't even acknowledge us once you moved on in the world."
Scoffing again in response, Bakugo glared into Henrickson's eyes and said, "I didn't ask you shits to do that for me. Why should I feel any sort of obligation to you and all the other extras? You're all just footnotes on my way to being the strongest. But now? Now I'm fucked and it's all because of that worthless Deku. And to think, the bastard had such powerful quirks all along. I'm not even sure if it's possible for him to die like the good little Deku he is. Dammit."
Henrickson simply leveled a fierce glare on the boy. Neither of them felt like saying anything more to each other. However, they both failed to notice the person sleeping near them smirk to themselves as they finished recording everything that had just been said. Well chief, I do believe we've got enough evidence now to support our case. This was a brilliant move.
The Next Day – Takoba Municipal Beach Park
As the mother and son duo stared at all the garbage littering the once beautiful beach, they couldn't help but feel like this was going to be one seriously daunting task. Looking into one another's eyes, they nodded as one and proceeded to get to work. It was decided that Izuku would first build up some much needed muscle by starting small and gradually working up to the big stuff when he was ready. Meanwhile, Inko would work to get in shape by doing whatever small tasks she felt she could handle. Baby steps!
They had made sure to get in touch with the proper services so that any trash they removed from the beach would be taken and dealt with appropriately. And, considering they had almost a full year before the U.A. entrance exam, this gave them plenty of time to clean the beach in its entirety. Together, the two of them were going to make this place shine again!
As they agreed upon, the duo started small, pushing, pulling, and carrying a variety of objects from the beach and lugging it up to the road where a large truck was waiting. Towards the end of the day, Izuku and his mother had decided to try and move a heavy refrigerator, but weren't having much luck. Instead, it left them panting on the ground and practically wheezing. "Too. Heavy."
Inko nodded and said, "Definitely too heavy. That's okay, though. We'll build up to it. For now, let's gradually work our way up. We can't overexert ourselves like this again. We'll just have to try again when we're ready."
"Agreed. Ready to get back to work?" Izuku asked.
Inko looked at her son and nodded. "Of course. I was just waiting on you." She said with a slight smirk on her face.
Izuku chuckled and slowly pushed himself into a standing position once again. Together with his mother, they managed to get quite a lot done in the time allotted to them.
Police Station
Kingsley frowned to himself as he listened to the recording his undercover police officer had acquired for him the previous night. "This is better than I could have hoped for. But is it enough? Hmm…"
Soon, the detectives he had consulted with last night walked up to him, both holding notepads and seemingly going over everything that was written within. Looking at them, the chief said, "I hope you have good news for me. What did you learn?"
Rando decided to go first as he tapped the end of his pencil against his notepad. "I spoke with the secretary as instructed. She admitted to me that she didn't hear the whole conversation, but what she did hear is pretty damning evidence. It would seem Principal Henrickson was making threats towards Izuku Midoriya. He threatened to expel Midoriya for 'talking back to him' and 'making threats'. There was talk about Bakugo and ruining his future as well, but she wasn't too clear on what was said. Still, she agreed to testify against Henrickson if need be."
Kingsley nodded before turning his gaze to Detective Hisui. "And what about you Hisui? Any luck?"
"Yes, sir. I spoke with some of the students and they were more than glad to point me in the right direction. It would seem that Bakugo's 'friends' are more akin to lackeys or 'extras' as Bakugo apparently called them. They didn't exactly seem the loyal type and were more than willing to rat him out. They spilled the beans and gave me all kinds of information. They'd been bullying Izuku Midoriya for years, almost as long as they'd known him and Katsuki. When I pressed them for more information, it was obvious that they were afraid of Katsuki. They followed him around not out of a sense of loyalty, but of fear."
"According to them, Katsuki has been using his quirk to terrorize not just Midoriya, but others as well. However, Midoriya is Katsuki's favorite punching bag and he abused him far more often than anyone else. And they were more than willing to give up the information about yesterday's incident." Flipping a page in her notepad, Hisui continued on. "Katsuki was displeased with Izuku and made it abundantly clear. At one point during the confrontation, Katsuki attacked Midoriya again, with his quirk, nonetheless. Izuku fell off of the roof and hit the ground below. They were horrified when Izuku suddenly stood up and looked perfectly fine, as if he hadn't just taken a tumble off the roof. They've agreed to testify against Bakugo if need be. I've got their statements recorded right here. I can have everything filed by the end of the day if you'd like, sir?"
Kingsley grinned slightly and said, "Perfect. We've got more than enough to bring the both of them to justice. I'll be sure to notify the Midoriya's of the progress later. For now, I want you two to try and extract a confession from the two of them. See if they'll cooperate yet. Feel free to drop a little bit of info to try and coerce a confession. Rando, you deal with the principal today. Hisui, try and talk to Bakugo. Maybe a woman's touch is what we need here."
Hisui shrugged and said, "If you say so, sir. We'll do our best."
"Good. I'm looking forward to hearing some good news. If we can just get a confession out of one of them, we'll be able to make a stronger case. And, if we're really lucky, we can use the confessor against the other detainee." Kingsley said before he turned and made his way towards his office.
Looking at each other, the two detectives shrugged before they proceeded to the interrogation rooms once again. Taking deep breaths, they entered the rooms; Rando approaching Henrickson and Hisui approaching Bakugo.
Sitting in the chair across from the teenage bully, Hisui placed her notepad on the table and began to tap it a few times with her left index and middle fingers. "Just to be sure, do you know why you are here, Mr. Katsuki Bakugo?"
Bakugo grumbled for a moment before nodding his head. "I'm here because I hurt that Deku's feelings. He got upset and probably ran to dear old 'mommy' in tears, telling her all kinds of shit. Everyone's acting like I intended to kill him!"
Hisui raised a brow and asked, "Did you? Because, from what I've heard, it was an accident. Though, even if it was, you still have to pay for what you've done. You do understand that, don't you?"
The blonde grumbled irritably to himself and said, "Whatever you say extra."
Frowning at the boy, the green-haired detective shook her head and said, "There's that word again. According to testimonies by a few of your classmates, you tend to refer to the people around you as 'extras'. Why is that, Katsuki?"
Glaring into the detective's eyes, Bakugo exclaimed, "That's because you extras don't matter in the slightest! I'll be the greatest and all anyone else will do is try to sail by on my fame and my glory! Nobody fucking matters to me, least of all that stupid Deku! Now if you're done, leave me the fuck alone. Damned extra."
Hisui frowned deeper and said, "You really have no respect for anyone but yourself, don't you? I'm sure your mother taught you to be respectful of other people, especially your elders. Tell me, do you enjoy making your mother worry about you? Do you enjoy making her feel like she's a failure of a mother? Did you know that your mother cried herself to sleep last night because she feels that way?"
"Who cares about that old hag? She doesn't matter and neither do you or anyone else. Now can I go or not?" Bakugo asked irritably.
Hisui shook her head and said, "No, you may not. Let me be frank with you, Katsuki Bakugo. We have more than enough evidence to ensure you get sentenced to life in prison if need be. However, if you confess to your crimes here and now, the judge might show you some mercy. Should you refuse, however, you WILL be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If you understand me, then I suggest you give your confession now."
Bakugo watched as Hisui activated a tape recorder and placed it upon the table. "Now, you may speak. Will you confess to your crimes?"
Practically snarling at this point, Bakugo wished he could just blow up the damn device and be done with it. But nooo! The damned police still had these damned handcuffs on him and wouldn't remove them for any reason. Hell, it was fucking awkward to try and use the damn bathroom with his hands bound like they were.
Glaring at the device, Bakugo said, "I'm not confessing to shit, lady! Like I said before, I wasn't trying to kill Deku! But he needs to know his place, and that's beneath me! I told that fuck to jump off the roof so I could finally be rid of the punk, and what happens? He ends up with some overpowered quirks and can't fucking die! To think, the worthless Deku had not one, but TWO powerful quirks this entire time! So you can bet your ass I wanted him to die! Hell, I'd keep blasting that asshole to bits if it meant he'd be out of my hair for good! Do I regret pushing him off of that roof? Not a damn bit, lady! He deserved that and much more!"
Hisui blinked a couple of times before she grabbed the recorder and stopped it. Giggling to herself, she stood up and nodded towards him once. "Thank you. That's more than enough. Do try to enjoy the rest of your day, little Bakugo." And with that, she left the room, leaving Bakugo to stare gobsmacked at the door.
"Fuck." was all Bakugo could say as he realized he had just royally fucked himself.
Rando – Interrogation Room #2
"Hello Mr. Henrickson. How'd you sleep?" Rando asked. Inside his mind, he was smirking at the frustrated look on the man's face. This could be fun.
"Are you trying to be funny detective? Because I'm not amused. I barely got any damn rest and I'm pissed. Why the hell haven't I been released yet?" the principal questioned, sounding rather agitated.
"Ah, too bad. I slept like a baby. Rather comfortable bed, some soft pillows and a comforter that I could just snuggle under. I almost didn't want to wake up. Alas, I have a job to do and, despite my bed calling out to me to stay, I had to come into work today." Rando said, a smile on his face as he watched Henrickson's brow twitch angrily.
"You're starting to piss me off detective. Is there some point you're trying to make here?"
Rando shrugged and said, "Just making small talk. Oh well, you don't seem to be in a pleasant mood. I can tell that neither of us wants to be here, so let's make this simple." Placing a tape recorder on the table, the detective turned it on and asked, "Would you care to confess now? You've had ample time to think it over. Go ahead."
"Is this a joke?" Henrickson asked.
Rando raised a brow and shook his head. "Nope. You see, we're busy people, you and me. You've done some pretty bad things and you're going to be punished for them. But, if you cooperate with me and confess to your crimes, it will go a long way in convincing the judge to take it easy on you. Who knows? You might even get to walk out of the justice building a free man. If you're lucky, that is. Besides, you've had time to mull it over while you slept. Or didn't sleep. Doesn't really matter to me."
Henrickson narrowed his eyes before releasing a heavy sigh. "I'm too damn tired to deal with this shit. You want me to confess? Fine. That little shit Bakugo would never think of anyone else but himself anyway. I did everything, EVERYTHING to please that brat and help guide him along on his quest to become a hero. If he succeeded in becoming the number one hero in the world, everyone would know my name and the people would flock to my school, eager to attend the famous Aldera Junior High. I didn't want his reputation being ruined, so I covered up the bullying, his illegal quirk usage, the works. I even paid the teachers off, instructing them to give Bakugo the top grades in class. We needed to make him feel special, no matter what."
Eyes aimed downwards, the principal interlocked his fingers and shook his head sadly. "The other day, when Bakugo shoved Midoriya off the roof of the building, I instructed the staff to remain silent about the matter. I pulled Midoriya into my office and tried to 'convince' him not to say a word to anyone. I even threatened to expel him from my school if he dared try anything else. I didn't want Bakugo's future to be jeopardized. But what's it matter now? I tried to cover up a case of attempted murder. And for what? Tch."
"There. You've got your damn confession. Now what?" Henrickson questioned. He was so done with all this shit. There was just no point anymore. All he hoped for now was that the judge would take it easy on him in thanks for his cooperation.
If Rando wasn't such a composed individual, he would have been blinking in shock. If he was being perfectly honest with himself, he honestly didn't think he'd have gotten a confession out of the fat pig of a man. Now that he had, though, he didn't quite know how to react.
Grabbing the recorder, he stopped it and said, "Thank you for your cooperation." Afterwards, he left the room and looked into his partner's eyes. "Well, that went a lot better than it did yesterday night. The chief's going to be happy with us, that's for sure."
Hisui giggled a bit and said, "Heck, if we're lucky, he might even give us a raise. Fat chance of that happening, though, huh?"
Rando chuckled and said, "Guess we'll have to wait and see. I wonder how that Midoriya kid is doing today. Think he's doing any better than he has been? Kid's been through a hell of a lot lately."
Hisui shrugged and said, "I know one way we can find out. Let's just ask the chief."
"Sounds like as good idea as any. Maybe he'll even pass on the good news for us."
"Here's hoping." Hisui said.
Downtown – Inko & Izuku
Izuku and his mother stood outside a rather large dojo, the two of them staring at the large door in bewilderment. They hadn't expected this dojo to be so spacious. "Well, shall we go in?" Inko questioned.
Before Izuku could reply, Inko's cell began to ring. Answering the call, she brought it up to her ear and said, "Inko Midoriya. Who is this?"
"Mrs. Midoriya, this is the chief of police. I wanted to update you on the progress of our case. As of right now, we've managed to collect quite a bit of evidence against Bakugo and Henrickson. They haven't confessed to anything yet, but I'm confident we can break them soon enough. Wait, hold on…" Kingsley's voice could be heard saying.
Confused at the sudden interruption, Inko looked into her son's eyes and said, "It's the chief. Seems he's got some good news for us."
Izuku smiled and said, "Glad to hear it. Have they managed to get a confession?"
Inko shook her head and said, "I'm not sure."
"Hello? Mrs. Midoriya?" Kingsley could be heard saying.
"Yes, I'm still here. Did something happen?"
The police chief nodded and said, "Indeed. My detectives have managed to get confessions from both Katsuki Bakugo and Mr. Henrickson. We'll contact the DA and see what he wants to do regarding these two. Depending on how things go, would your son be able to testify against the two of them in court?"
Inko looked to her son and saw him nod once. "I will if I have to."
Nodding in acceptance, Inko said, "Yes, sir. Izuku will testify if you need him to. Are you sure you have enough to convict them?"
"Oh, most definitely, Mrs. Midoriya. I promise you this: they won't get away with their crimes. If there's any further updates, I'll let you know. Do have a good day, ma'am." Kingsley said before he hung up the phone.
Smiling at her son, Inko said, "Well, that's good news. What do you think, sweetheart?"
Izuku smiled and said, "That's very good news. Now, why don't we go inside and see what it's like? I'm kind of eager to get started, honestly."
"Of course sweetheart." Inko said before leading him inside.
Upon stepping foot into the dojo, the two of them looked around, admiring all the work that had been put into this dojo. They could easily see why this was considered the top dojo in the city. "Wow."
"Ahh, welcome, welcome." A man said as he walked up to them. "You must be new here. Welcome to the Taigakuro Dojo. What brings you here today?"
Izuku smiled at the man and said, "I'm…I'm here to learn martial arts. I'd like to have some kind of self-defense techniques, if at all possible. I'm not exactly strong, and I have no experience in a fight. I'm not very confident in my abilities either. But…I'm here to learn! If I want to be a great hero someday, I need to learn how to fight and defend myself and others. So…please teach me?"
The man looked Izuku over for a moment before nodding in acceptance. "I understand. Though, from the looks of you two, I assume you don't exactly have a lot of cash? If that's the case, we can work out a payment plan that's easier on your budget."
Inko smiled thankfully at the man and said, "You're correct. We're not poor, by any means, but I doubt we'd be able to afford a full membership right away. But I really want to make sure my Izuku can properly defend himself in the future against villains that might wish him harm."
The man smiled at them and said, "Very well. Follow me and we can discuss payment options. Izuku, you are free to watch some of our students and observe their stances and their katas. You're starting fresh, completely malleable. That's a good thing, believe it or not. I guarantee that, with enough effort, you can become an excellent practitioner of our art style."
As his mother left with the rather tall man, Izuku stepped closer to the master and his pupils. Observing them for a time, he took in all their stances, their movements, and even their grace. However, one young woman, who appeared to be around his age, really caught his attention.
The girl was truly breathtaking. She had beautiful, long orange hair and teal eyes. She stood just slightly shorter than him, if he guessed it right. She also had her hair done up in a ponytail and she had a few droplets of sweat trickling down the side and back of her neck. Her training gi was held snug against her body, but it allowed for free range of movement, as evidenced by the fact she had no trouble keeping up with her fellow trainees.
It appeared as if she had noticed him staring, as she soon turned her attention onto him. She still kept up with her routine, never once falling out of sync with her fellow students, but she continued to look into his eyes. All Izuku could do was say one simple word: "Beautiful."
A/N - And that's the chapter! I sincerely hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you're looking forward to more!
I'm honestly a little surprised that this story has received such positive reviews and messages. Thank you all so much for the kind, supportive words and the kind reviews. It really cheered me up a lot, so thank you.
Anywho, as you no doubt noticed, I focused a lot on the detectives and their process in getting information, putting it all together, and so on and so forth. Like I said before, there is a reason for why I did the chapter the way I did. I just hope you can be patient until I reveal why it's all so important.
Alright, I'm in quite a bit of pain, so I'm gonna end this here. Thanks again, and I hope you're looking forward to whatever comes next!