(A/N: Happy 100th chapter of this series! :D (that's excluding chapter 64 of part 1 which is an A/N. :P) Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing!
This chapter has references to Vigilantes and mentions of canon character death. )
...
"Problem child. What are you doing up?" Shouta asked, surprised to see his student still up.
"I, uh, couldn't sleep," Midoriya replied fidgeting with his hands. "I was thinking of getting some water."
The tired man studied him and guessed there was more than just simple trouble with sleeping. He bid the teen to get his water and then to come sit with him. The greenet knew he couldn't refuse so did as he was told before sitting a comfortable distance away on the unoccupied side of the couch. Shouta didn't say anything at first as he silently continued to work. Allowing Midoriya to drink some of his water but also stew in what exactly his mentor wanted to talk about.
"So, what's on your mind, kid?" Shouta asked as he leaned back from his work while giving a pet to Esp's white fluff.
"I…," Midoriya said, fiddling with the partially empty cup in his hands. "I don't really understand."
"Don't understand what?" the teacher questioned as he side-eyed his student but keeping his focus mostly off him to keep him comfortable.
"Why I wasn't punished more," the greenet answered with his head turned down. "I should have been kicked out of the Hero Course or even UA altogether. I should have been arrested for not turning Chizome-san in. But I'm not. I did something bad. Shouldn't my punishment be bad too? Like Bakugou?"
Green eyes glanced up to tired black hesitantly with already budding tears. The Erasure Hero stared at his student keeping his face blank as he considered his questions. Internally though he felt sad for the kid next to him. What he had done or didn't do was bad of course, but to compare that to all that Bakugou had done to him wasn't right. Those were two different situations and so needed to be handled in different ways. Shouta needed Midoriya to understand that.
"Midoriya, why did we punish Bakugou?" Shouta asked.
"Because…he hurt me," Midoriya answered, looking down at his hands. "Because he's a bully."
"And he attacked you on school grounds causing permanent damage," the teacher added.
They both looked to Midoriya's right hand. The one with scars from being electrocuted by his own tech that Bakugou had purposefully exploded with his Quirk. Acting unlike a Hero by attacking with the intention to harm.
"What Bakguou did was wrong," Shouta stated firmly. "Regardless of his upbringing and lack of guidance in the past, he still chose to hurt you with no consideration of the consequences. Because of that, he's receiving the level of discipline needed to address and fix that situation. That same discretion applies to you as well."
The greenet looked up at him in confusion tilting his head like a puppy. Unintentionally acting cute with his 'cinnamon roll' powers as Hizashi called them. Shouta was very much a cat person as evident by their current household of three, but even he couldn't deny the kid had an endearing quality to him. Probably one that the boy wasn't entirely aware of at times.
"While it is true that you messed up when it came to Stain," Shouta said as he idly petted Esp. "That doesn't necessitate you being expelled, let alone arrested. The punishment must match the severity of the transgression."
"But I willingly met and talked to a Villain without turning him in," the greenet retorted with brows furrowed in confusion.
"Yes, you did," the man responded with a nod. "But you also only talked. You didn't conspire or commit crimes with him. Other than not turning him in and the hit you put on Endeavor, you didn't do anything necessarily wrong."
"But I still did those two things," the Quirkless teen pressed.
"You did and you will be punished for them," Shouta conceded. "But expulsion or arrest are not proper ways to handle this situation. Bakugou never received the consequences that equated to his antagonistic behavior. What he did was very wrong and we're going to do our best to teach him why. Helping him to become better and fixing what your past teachers failed to do."
The greenet nodded beside him though he pursed his lips in displeasure. Still thinking they had been too harsh on his ex-childhood friend. He agreed that what Bakugou had done to him was wrong but a part of him still didn't think he deserved all that he had got.
"As for you, you made a mistake," the teacher continued. "But expulsion or arrest wouldn't teach you anything because you already know it was wrong. The hit on Endeavor is another story but considering it was intended as non-lethal and resulted only in information gathering, I'm willing to let it slide. Nezu's already started to look through the flash drive with Tsukauchi and have determined the information will be helpful in our investigation."
Midoriya perked up at that reveal. Glad that his and Stain's efforts were going to be helpful. Perhaps they really could take the Number Two Hero down by their combined efforts.
"However, you will still be receiving punishments," Shouta added. "Not as extreme as expulsion or removing you from the Hero Course. More of an appropriate level to fit your transgression and situation."
"What will I be doing?" Midoriya asked.
"Still deciding but possibly some sort of detention with me," the teacher replied, sending a shiver down the boy's back knowing how strict the man was. "Regardless of what we end up doing, you already learned the most important lesson to get out of this."
"To not harbor a secret relation with a Villain or send him after a Hero?" the teen replied with a bit of a cheeky tone.
"Exactly," Shouta huffed in amusement and a quick ruffle of the kid's hair.
The greenet let out a giggle as he ducked away from the offending hand. The man chuckled himself before retreating his hand and returning to gently petting Esp beside him. The teacher and student fell into a companionable silence before the teen spoke up again.
"Thank you," Midoriya said, looking down at his hands. "For everything. Training Hitoshi-kun and me. Introducing me to Nezu-sensei. Defending me against others. Believing in me. You and the others have helped me so much since I started at UA."
The Erasure Hero considered the boy next to him before saying, "No thanks needed, kid. You and Shinsou have potential. Any competent teacher can see that." Both gave a twitched smirk at the subtle jab. "You both fell through the cracks of the biased system. It was only logical to help you work past that barrier as I had before. I see a lot of me in you two."
Midoriya huffed out a chuckle as he said, "Don't let Shouto-kun hear you say that."
"Why is that?" the tired man questioned with a quirked brow.
"He thinks either one or both of us might be your, and I quote, 'secret love child,'" the greenet replied with finger quotes and a smirk.
Shouta almost choked on his spit at the conspiracy theory. Him? A father of one or both of the most problematic children? Biologically, hell no. He was only thirty! He would have had to be a dad in his teens for that to make sense age wise. Also, he was gay and had only ever been with men so there was no way he could have gotten a woman pregnant. Not even Ms. Joke who still to this day thought it was hilarious to propose to him despite knowing he was already married.
"With Hitoshi-kun I can kind of see why he would think so," the teen said. "Ignoring the fact that you would have had to be in your teens for it to be real, you two are similar in several ways. You're both sleep deprived. Love cats and coffee. Mental type Quirks too. Lanky build with gravity defying hair. And so on."
The tired man couldn't help but nod in agreement to the similarities. Not that they weren't ones he hadn't noticed before, but he had never equated them to mean they could be seen as possibly related.
"As for me, I don't get it," Midoriya continued with an exasperated huff. "I mean he's seen my dad in pictures and even talked to him through a video call with him during a sleepover last week. Said it had to be CGI like the ridiculous conspiracy theorist he is." The boy smiled and shook his head fondly. "I don't know what to do with him."
Maybe it was Nemuri rubbing off on him or the fact it was obvious the two liked each other. Reminding the tired man so much of his husband and himself back in high school. Flitting around each other before finally confessing their growing feelings for each other. Either way, Shouta couldn't help but tease, "You could date him."
"Oh no, not you too!" Midoriya cried out though in a hushed tone so as not to wake the others. "Kayama-sensei is bad enough! Not to mention my friends and my mom! And I'm still trying to figure out if I do like him like that or not."
The boy pouted next to him and the man couldn't help but chuckle. He gave a comforting pat to the teen's shoulder as he said, "Well, when it comes to trying to figure out if you like someone or if they like you, sometimes it's helpful to ask those who know you best. Friends, family, or those who know from personal experience to give you an outsider's perspective. And believe me, problem child, he likes you. Date him. Or not. Your choice."
...
Izuku grumbled as his cheeks flushed pink. He still wasn't sure how exactly he felt about Shouto despite the signs pointing to actual feelings. And even if they were, he wouldn't want to push those feelings onto his friend if they weren't returned despite Aizawa seeming so sure of it. Because above all else, Izuku didn't want to ruin the built trust and closeness between them. No, no matter what he felt towards Shouto, he wouldn't jeopardize their friendship for anything. Not even his own feelings.
The pair sat there in companionable silence for a while. Aizawa went back to his work for a bit while Izuku drank more of his water. Esp decided she had enough pets for now and prowled off to do something else. The man continued to work as the teen mulled over how lucky he was. Not arrested nor expelled. Being taught by teachers who actually cared. Especially his homeroom teacher who was known for his harsh teaching methods and willingness to expel anyone he saw as lacking. Something that still held true for the two he had expelled from his class at the beginning of the year. Though Izuku suspected there was some sort of re-enrollment element seeing as Mineta had been in the Sports Festival.
But despite that expulsion-happy reputation, the homeroom teacher had seen fit to not expel either Bakugou or Izuku. The former partly on the Quirkless teen's request because he firmly believed that expulsion would have done more harm that good when it came to the explosive blonde. And although Izuku had fully expected to be expelled himself, he was grateful that he wasn't. Though it did make him wonder what exactly made his teacher decide who had potential and who did not. What was the driving force behind his decisions on who would stay and who would go?
"Aizawa-sensei, can I ask you something?" Izuku said, earning the tired man's attention with a hum in acknowledgement. "Why do you expel so many students?"
The teacher stopped his work at the question. A loaded question with a sad answer. One filled with rising hope dashed with grief. Of a bright future cut short in an instant. Ripping away the veil of youthful ignorance to reveal that life was not fair. That those who deserve to live don't always get that chance.
"Because they weren't taking it seriously enough," the Erasure Hero answered. "The life of a Hero is dangerous and can change to life threatening in an instant. Those who take it lightly are more likely to get killed. Then there are those who think all they need to be a Hero is a flashy Quirk. Thinking it's all about popularity and rankings. Mistaking what the duties of a Hero actually are."
The greenet scrunched his face up in disapproval. It was exactly what Chizome had been working to fight against as Stain. Wanting to prevent the creation of Heroes only out for money or fame. A trend that Izuku had become more aware of after getting to know the man. Beside him the tired man simply nodded his agreement figuring what the teen was thinking.
It was in that moment that the pair were joined by another. From a dark corner peaked out the yellow eyes of their shadow cat. Aizawa held a finger to his mouth to tell the teen to be quiet. After receiving a nod, the man calmly beckoned the shy cat towards him. The feline hesitated but the encouraging and curious smile of the boy along with the man's continued coaxing was enough to get it to come closer.
Green eyes watched as a black cat cautiously emerged from the shadows and crawled up into Aizawa's lap. Heh, guess it was a 'shadow' cat in more ways that one. The man gently petted the cat in his lap to calm it down before introducing the feline to his problem child.
"This is Sashimi," Aizawa said, looking down fondly at the cat. "She's shy but if you approach her calmly, she should be okay with you."
The greenet nodded before using what he had learned from Hitoshi about how to approach a cat. He carefully offering his hand to the cat and waited for her to sniff. Sashimi took a few whiffs before giving him a quick lick and then rubbed her cheek against him. The cat allowed him to give her a few head pets before retreating back to Aizawa. All while the tired man observed the interaction with hidden fondness.
"Why Sashimi?" Izuku asked curiously as he retreated his hand.
"It's sort of a paired name to go with Nemuri's cat, Sushi," Aizawa answered as he petted Sashimi. "One because she insisted and two because I found this one under similar circumstances as Sushi back in high school."
"Kayama-sensei has a cat?" the teen asked, earning a nod. "Wow, I didn't know she had a pet."
"And she's really annoying about it," the tired man complained. "Thinks sending pictures of him pooping is funny due to her weird sense of humor."
The greenet chuckled as his teacher rolled his eyes.
"How did you find her?" Izuku asked gesturing toward the cat in the man's lap.
"Abandoned in a box in the rain," Aizawa answered. "With Sashimi I was able to help her and give her a good home. But for Sushi, back then all I felt I could do was leave my umbrella behind. I was only a high school student after all and a cat is a big responsibility."
The teen nodded even though he had never had a pet. Their apartment complex didn't allow them after all. But he had enjoyed interacting with cats on his way to and from school growing up.
"How did Sushi end up with Kayama-sensei?" Izuku inquired.
"A friend of mine saved him," the man replied. "While all I could do was leave my umbrella, he on the other hand couldn't just leave the cat alone. Brought him to school and everything even though it was against the rules. But then again he was always one to do what he wanted."
Izuku watched as his teacher sat there with nostalgia in his eyes. Noting the use of 'was' leading him to believe either they weren't friends anymore or worse that this friend was no longer around. Not wanting to upset his teacher but still curious, the teen hesitantly asked, "Who was he?"
...
Shouta let out a sigh petting the cat in his lap for comfort. It was a sore subject and one that he didn't normally like to talk about. Besides the ones who he usually would already know about it and had their own mixed feelings about what had happened. But this was the problem child who just recently revealed a big secret that effected his life. Having a similar amount of influence as this part of Shouta's past had on the man's own. One that had helped him finally figure out what kind of Hero he wanted to be and pushed him to follow the path of the Underground.
"His name was Shirakumo Oboro," he answered without taking his eyes off Sashimi. The teen sat quietly beside him listening. "I became friends with him and Hizashi my second year when I transferred to the Hero Course. I had been reluctant at first but they were very…persistent."
The boy chuckled at the image of a young Yamada dragging a grumbling young Aizawa around as he commented, "I could imagine."
The man let out his own huffed laugh in fondness of the memories of his high school friends. Being forced to socialize despite being used to living life as a loner. Sharing lunches on the roof where they had also shared their hopes and dreams along with their insecurities. Where they had decided to start their own agency together although that was a goal they had never been able to reach.
"We actually bonded more because of Sushi," Shouta said with a subtle smile on his face. "We even became friends with Nemuri because of him. She was a year above us and found us on the roof even though we weren't supposed to be there. But instead of ratting us out she enthusiastically approved."
"Let me guess," Midoriya said with a smirk. "Because of her liking of 'vibrant youth'?"
"Whatever that is, but yes," the man confirmed with a roll of his eyes. "She was the one to name the cat Sushi and even though she said it would only be temporary she's kept him ever since. She still sends a daily Sushi text."
The tired man carefully pulled out his phone so as not to disturb the cat in his lap to show the boy pictures of Sushi. Skipping between the cuter ones while skimming over the weirder pictures she had shared.
"He's cute," Midoriya said with a smile.
"He is," Shouta said back with a nod as he put his phone down. "As is this one."
The tired man scratched under the black cat's chin who leaned into the touch. Bringing a rare smile to his face. Cats really were the best thing in the world. Well, other than sleep and coffee. Having all three together was Shouta's heaven. One he sometimes got to really experience being wrapped up in his sleeping bag cuddling with a cat and a cup of life-giving coffee within reach. Perfection.
"Sensei," the teen called out grabbing his attention. "If you don't mind me asking, you said 'was' when talking about your friend. What happened to him? Did you have a fight? Or…"
The boy trailed off awkwardly not really wanting to say his suspicion out loud. But the man could figure what he was hinting at anyway.
"No, we didn't have a fight," Shouta answered, smile gone and replace by neutrality that hid his inner grief at the memories this conversation was digging up. "Oboro, he…died during our second year."
"He…died?" Midoriya let out somberly not happy his guess was right.
The Erasure Hero nodded solemnly in response before saying, "It happened during our internships. Hizashi got scouted, but Oboro and I had been struggling to get picked up by a Hero agency. That was until Nemuri offered to introduce us to her boss, His Purple Highness."
The greenet was fascinated to learn more about his mentor's early years before going Pro. Though Eraserhead's tendency to avoid the spotlight seemed to clash with the flashiness of His Purple Highness. Appearance and being seen was a big part of the older Hero's style. Not necessarily in a bad way though because his Quirk, Chest Hair, had a sort of glamor effect that enhanced his masculine features. Serving as a distraction during his fights as well as to raise the hopes of people in the media.
"It was actually during this internship that I used goggles for the first time," Shouta revealed, glancing over to find intrigued green eyes watching him. "My first pair were a gift from Oboro. We had fought a Villain that had a kind of Smoke Quirk. The smoke made it difficult for me to use my Quirk and the Villain managed to get away. So Oboro gave me his goggles and the next time we ran into the Villain I was able to erase his Quirk and we managed to take him out together. We made a great team and wanted to start an agency together with Hizashi after graduating. But we never did."
"Because he…," Izuku said, trailing off to leave the sensitive subject unsaid and earned a simple nod in answer. "But you said that he took out that Smoke Villain."
"Oh, he did," the Hero replied, focusing on the cat in his lap. "No, this was a different Villain called Garvey. His Quirk, Stock, allowed him to absorb Quirk attacks, store them, and then release an amplified version of them. During the fight, Oboro was…buried under a building that was destroyed in one of those amplified attacks. It had been the first time I went up against a Villain alone. I didn't think I could do it but I heard my friend's voice call out to me and encourage me. I was able to defeat Garvey on my own by turning his own power against him. All because of Oboro's words."
The Quirkless teen could identify with that. It was much like how Chizome and he were. His words were a source of encouragement despite them coming from a Villain. They had even fueled him when he had fought the man himself. And he too had used the Hero Killer's own Quirk against him.
"But I didn't learn until after the fight that I couldn't heard him," Shouta continued, breaking the teen from his thoughts. Worried green eyes watched his teacher as he spoke. "When the building fell on him, a piece of rubble had hit him on the head killing him instantly. He had used his Quirk to save some civilians and didn't see it in time before it hit. Just like that his life ended and a promising Hero was gone."
...
There was a moment of tense silence as Izuku let that sink in. His mentor's friend had been performing his Hero duties and saved people. Putting their safety first and it had gotten him killed for his efforts. Tears welled in solemn green eyes at the sudden loss of life.
As if sensing his distress, Sashimi decided to leave Aizawa's lap to settle in Izuku's own. The greenet first looked down at the cat in surprise and then up at his teacher in silent question. The man simply gave an encouraging nod and the teen cautiously reached out to pet the feline. The black cat accepted the touch and Izuku smiled down as he petted her. The repeated action helped calm him down from hearing such a sad story from his mentor's past.
The tired man reached over to scratch being his shadow cat's ear as he said, "That's why I'm so harsh with my students. The life of a Hero is no walk in the park. Any fight could be your last. And if you're not prepared or even willing to push yourself to be the best you can be, then a single mistake could be the last you ever make."
The greenet nodded. It made sense now why Aizawa was so harsh on his students. It wasn't because he didn't care but the opposite. He wanted them to be prepared enough to survive this dangerous profession. Not wanting them to experience the same loss he had as a student. Of his friend's journey to be a Hero cut short in such a fatal way.
"That makes a lot of sense," Izuku said after a few quiet moments spent petting Sashimi. "I already knew Heroes had it rough. Heroes do their best to save others, but sometimes they can't. Not even themselves. Training helps sure, but sometimes things just…happen."
"Exactly," Aizawa responded. "It's also why I don't determine someone's potential by their Quirk alone. Because even those with what are considered strong Quirks are just as susceptible to this part of Hero life. Anyone, Quirk or no Quirk, could die at any time as a Hero. Which is why I push all of my students, even you problem child, to push past their limits so they have the skills necessary to protect themselves."
"Plus Ultra?" the teen quipped with a smile.
"Plus Ultra," the man replied with a hair ruffle that the boy tried to playfully avoid.
"Your friend, what was his Quirk?" Izuku asked, ever curious.
"It was called Cloud," Aizawa answered, giving the boy a knowing smirk as his green eyes glistened with intrigue. "He could generate clouds that were dense enough for him to ride on or carry stuff among other things. Though Oboro typically liked to use it as his own personal taxi service."
"Like his own flying nimbus?" the greenet jokingly asked.
"Pretty much," the tired man huffed out with a laugh.
The Quirkless teen giggled as well before saying, "That would have been a good Quirk for a Hero."
"Yeah, it would have been," Aizawa replied with a solemn look out across the dark apartment. "But that wasn't what made him a Hero. He had the heart of one."
That reminded Izuku of all the times Chizome had talked about the heart of a Hero. And how the Villain insisted that he had the heart of a true one. Even more that All Might himself. A sentiment that was now instilled in the gifted knife resting in the box with his other gear. Serving as a reminder to stay true to his Hero heart.
"Anyway," Aizawa said as he raised his arms and stretched. "It's getting late and we have training tomorrow. Time to go to sleep…son."
The teen let out an exasperated sigh as he rubbed a hand down his face and grumbled, "Shouldn't have told you that."
"But you did," the man said with a smirk. "Now suffer the consequences and go to bed."
Izuku stuck his tongue out as Aizawa carefully picked up Sashimi from his lap. Finally cat free, the greenet was quick to finish his water before washing the cup and leaving it in the rack to dry. He bid his teacher good night and returned to his temporary room. As he laid on the futon, he thought about all he had learned. Aizawa was a complicated mess of motivations and yet they all connected like puzzle pieces.
The Hero teacher only wanted the best for his students. Choosing to expel those who would rather settle than push themselves to be better. All in an effort of saving them from themselves for not taking the very real danger of becoming a Hero seriously. Fueled by his own experiences of loss and personal struggles to push him to expect the best of his students. Push them like he pushed himself to become the best Hero they could be.
It was much like how Chizome had pushed Izuku with his words. Telling him flat out it would be difficult but that he needed to work harder to pass over the obstacle of not having a Quirk. Which Izuku was very willing to do, had done so far, and would continue to do so in the future. Refusing to let this second chance given to him by his mentors and Tsukauchi go to waste. He would become the Hero Chizome and he believed he could be. Rising up above all the naysayers and become the first Quirkless Hero. Show them all that he, Midoriya Izuku and future Pro Hero Edge, had what it took same as everyone else.
With that new motivation and renewed goal in mind, the Quirkless teen finally fell asleep.
...
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Notes extension: post/666766114461745152/part-2-chapter-37-a-late-night-conversation