"So run that by me one more time."
Izuku kept his eyes to the floor as shame filled him.
"I...I dislocated Kacchan's wrist and beat the shit out of him…then I threatened to put him in a wheelchair...then...then I said that I'd hurt him in ways he could imagine if he told anyone."
Tea flowed out from a kettle being held by a white furred paw.
"Alright, what possessed you to do this?"
His eyes stayed glued to the floor.
"He slapped me and I...overreacted."
A cup was set out for the youth when short legs moved from behind the desk.
"That's understating it, but at least you came forward about the incident on your own."
Taking the brew the Ninth Bearer continued to roll in his discomfort and shame.
"I know, but I'm here to get better and acting like that isn't helping. I-"
His head shot up as a mood change came over him, rapidly switching from repentant to angry.
"I just refuse to be anyone's bitch and I know I did wrong, but if I hadn't he might have hit me again and I'll jump right back in that cell before I let anybody, especially that self-aggrandizing asshole, think they can lay their hands on me!"
A loud sip echoed off the relatively small office while beady black eyes stared at the youth, taking note of the bitter taste.
"Ironic, wouldn't you say?"
The ceramic cup creaked in Izuku's grip as he fought not to throw it at the wall.
"Fuck! God fucking damn it, that loud mouthed, arrogant, son of a bitch! Fuck, maybe I…"
He paused momentarily to breathe, composing his thoughts and retaking his mind.
"No...No I don't."
Nedzu raised an eyebrow at his student, half heartedly curious on what he might say, yet fairly certain he already knew.
"What were you thinking about?"
Leather creaked under Izuku's weight when he finally found it in himself to calm down and sit on the sofa. He placed a hand on his face, completely embarrassed about what he saw in his head.
"That maybe I should have shot him in that alley instead of those two nobodies."
The rodent sighed, putting his cup down gently before crossing his paws.
"I know it's hard, Izuku, I do. You try to remove yourself from that way of life, but even if your body is safe and away from danger, your mind doesn't get it. It still thinks the danger is still there even logically you know it isn't. However, your history with Mr. Bakugou doesn't bode well for this simply being an episode of fight or flight. Now with Mr. Togata away there's less liability involved legally considering your special situation, yet should you prove to be a danger to either the students or the faculty members then I'd have to turn your rehabilitation over to the government."
Izuku pursed his lips, not in the furious state of mind he'd have to be to try and rebuke the rules.
"I understand completely."
The smell of cheddar wafted from the coffee table when the mouse removed a tray of mild cheddar from a refrigerated slot built into the furniture.
"We aren't to that point just yet. There won't be a strike system in place for you or anything of that nature seeing as how it's completely up to the judgment of the staff. However there will be a board meeting held about this and Mr. Bakugou's parents will be informed. As to how you'll be reprimanded…"
The sentient animal tapped a finger against his chin until a Eureka moment shone in his button sized eyes.
"You'll have to spend the rest of the weekend with him."
Izuku nearly spat out his tea.
"What!? I just beat him within an inch of his life five minutes ago and you're telling me the best thing for us to do is to stick me in a room with this guy until we make good!? I honestly expect him to be pissed at me now!"
"And I expect him to be understanding. Out of everyone here he has known you the longest and got them to know you the most personally. He clearly understands that something is wrong, especially given his…first hand viewing of the situation you were in. That and should you both fail to go without incident for the rest of the weeknd then your entire class will bear the punishment. Understand?"
"...is it too late to just stab myself in the neck?"
Nedzu grabbed him by the arm and guided them both to the door.
"As far as I'm concerned, yes it is."
The track to Recovery Girl's office was tumultuous at best as Izuku was beset with stares from the teeming hordes of students that watched him with interest and fear as he marched beside the chimera which ran the entire school. Yet he put it aside as they arrived at the nurse's station and walked inside, finding the old healer who appeared crabby as ever, and Katsuki Bakugou looking out rightly pissed. An emotion that flared up twice the normal amount when he set eyes on Izuku, who met him with a cold, removed stare that said "you aren't worth shit to me."
The two men glared at each other for a moment before the principal stepped forward and took center stage as he smiled at the blond.
"Well Mr. Bakugou, I trust there's been some disagreements between you and Mr. Midoriya. Care to inform me of them?"
The explosion user pointed an accusing finger at the greenete who kept his detached persona, not reacting at all when the more outspoken man screamed.
"The only thing going on is Deku being a goddamn dumbass who keeps kissing up to those fuckers! His head is so far up his own ass that he can't see the shit for what it is and it's fucking annoying! Everybody is here trying to help his delusional ass, but instead of actually putting in some fucking effort, he'd rather hang out with Purple Hair and keep acting like a bitch!"
There was a glint of something dangerous in Izuku's eyes as he broke his silence with a clear, even tone that carried the weight of one ready to do very violent things.
"What did you just call me?"
Not deterred by the undertone of threat, Katsuki answered with his usual fury and fire as he pushed past the sentient rodent and began to jab a finger into Izuku's chest.
"I called you a bitch because you keep acting like one! You keep making excuses for those bastards and that sick fuck of a cunt who did god knows what to you and running away from your problems! A real man buckles the fuck up and faces his demons head on instead of avoiding them by hiding like some whipped pussy!"
Izuku inhaled, his fingers curling and knuckles cracking as he balled his fists and stepped forward, getting close enough to Katsuki that their noses were almost touching. He spoke with an almost casual voice, one that cut right through to the point.
"I've killed people for saying less Kacchan. You-"
He was shoved back as Katsuki pushed forward and grabbed his collar. There was an expression of shock on his face for a brief moment before tensed as the hothead cut in.
"So what!? You gonna kill me then Deku!? Just like that hand wearing freak wants you to!? You gonna throw everything away for a bunch of losers who fucking kidnapped you!?"
Izuku tensed for a moment before he continued to glare at his oldest associate as the mental image of all the things he could do to carry out that threat flashed in his head. The whole thing made him grimace for a moment.
"No Kacchan I'm not going to-"
He was cut off by Nedzu stepping between the two and laughing like it was the most hilarious event the mouse had seen. Both of the students shared a mutual shade of reluctant fear at the expression and their senior added to that when he dug his paws into each of their legs.
"It seems that there is still quite the sum of hostility between you two. Thankfully I intend to mend some of that. Starting as of this moment you both are to spend the weekend together without any further incidents and should either fail to complete this little experiment then your entire class will be forced to work on their weekends for an entire month."
Izuku and Katsuki shared a deep regret filled fear at the idea and then without warning Nedzu raised his paw and departed with the words "I trust that's easy enough to manage, ta-ta for now my students." Leaving the pair to deal with the results while Recovery Girl silently burned holes into the back of their heads. The boys remained quiet for a few heartstopping minutes before Katsuki moved towards the exit with his thumb pointing at his oldest friend.
"Come on Deku, let's go."
Not left with much of an option, Izuku followed after his former victim/tormentor without a fuss.
They walked the halls of the academy in relative silence for a time, neither daring to say a word with all the emotions boiling under the skin. Eventually they arrived at the eastern inner courtyard outside the 1-B dorms where the two simply stood against a wall and did nothing but watch the sky or ground. Then at last Katsuki took charge again and was the first to speak.
"Deku, be fucking honest with me, what exactly is the problem? Why exactly are you so touchy about shit and just moping about with Purple hair like a loser? Is it because of me? All Might? The rest of the class? Can you explain why you keep acting like a dick whenever we try to talk to you?"
Izuku paused and pursed his lips as he started kicking up grass to keep himself busy.
"Honestly Kacchan, I don't know. I'm happy to be here rather then prison or dead, but...it's fucking exhausting being around people who remind me of a time I can't get back. I'm fucked up and weird and creepy with a literal body count carved into my back while you all are normal people. I was around the League so much that I…"
He sighed and shook his head.
"Let me ask this and you'll get a better understanding. Remember when I killed those two punks in that alleyway?"
A sense of disgust radiated through the hero at what he saw in his head.
"I don't think I'll ever forget that."
Izuku paused and continued as he readjusted himself on the wall.
"You'd think I'd feel horrible or disgusted about it, that it was a necessary evil for a better tomorrow when really I didn't. I enjoyed ending them, watching their body squirm and squeal as their last breath left them. I don't feel much guilt for anything I've done and really...I've done way worse then simple murder."
He went on as long held thoughts started to come rolling out.
"If I told you everything I did, you'd never speak to me again. There's things Himiko and I have done that not even the rest of the League know about. It's like she told me, we'll never blend in with regular people on the inside. I just...it's hard consistently being reminded of better times where I was a different person everywhere I look and frankly I have no fucking clue what do with myself anymore."
Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose as he kept going.
"I sincerely thought I'd die before the age of twenty five or be rotting in some cell for the rest of my life, but now it's like everything I ever thought got thrown on its head again. I'm really glad for the second chance but I have no idea what to do with it, I have no goals I have no aspirations I have no idea on what to do with myself aside from maybe seeing my mother and one of the biggest things that are keeping me from just leaving is because when the League sprang me out of that hole and let me come back here, Tomu...Shigaraki said I wouldn't last five months here."
Shock covered the entirety of Katsuki's face as he took a step forward with a coating of sweat washing over his palms.
"Hold the fuck up, what exactly do you mean they let you come back?"
Izuku stepped back and shrugged with his hands raised in surrender.
"Exactly what it sounds like. They broke me out of prison and eventually Tomu...Shigaraki figured out that I was planning on going back and they all just let me leave since I had a good enough reason."
There were a million things Katsuki would have said to that, a thousand ways he would have reacted, but he didn't have time when there came the sound of footsteps from around the courtyard. Tsuyu and Ochako met their eyes with overt concern as the girls approached with an almost forceful haste to close the gap. Both men eyed each other as their classmates came, deciding to put whatever worries they had away for now.
Which in turn only got worse when Ochako walked up and glared Katsuki down.
"We heard you guys had a fight, mind explaining what happened there?"
The blond immediately threw his arms up in exasperation as he was given one of the most suspecting looks anyone had seen on the brunette.
"How the fuck is any of that my fault!? Deku was the one who started shit, I didn't even swing on the fucker even though he put his hands on me!"
Izuku recoiled when everyone shifted their gaze to him, only to feel that emotion double when Tsuyu stepped up with more concern for him than he'd seen in a person in a long time.
"Is that true Midoriya?"
Why did she have to sound so damn sincere when she spoke? Lowering his head a bit as he started to mutter, Izuku managed to finally get the words out.
"...Yeah. Kacchan and I had a disagreement and we got physical. He grabbed me and I punched him and threatened to break his legs, it is what it is."
Of all the things Izuku expected to arrive from the frog girl, anger was not one of them and as such he was taken aback when she jabbed him in the chest with a finger.
"Do you have any idea how much you risked with that stupid stunt!? You're already on thin ice with everything that happened when those villains got ahold of you and then you decide to pick a fight with the one person who has the most reason to take it personally!? Midoriya, if it wasn't for All Might sticking up for you and Principal Nedzu fighting tooth and nail to get you here, then you'd be in Tartarus yet you chose to start throwing punches over petty issues!"
She turned with a fire in her eyes as she sent daggers at Katsuki, pointing an accusing finger at him like he was responsible.
"And you certainly weren't helping Bakugou! You know first hand how badly those monsters screwed with his head so you shouldn't be provoking him with a slap in the first place! After all we did to get him back nobody wants you to ruin his chances at getting better by acting like an uppity, aggressive asshole! What if Midoriya had gotten sent away because of what you started, what then!?"
Doing a double take Tsuyu flipped around and got right in Izuku's face as a deep, angry shade of red began to color her usually pale skin.
"But that doesn't change the fact you went for the bait and acted like some macho dickhead who has no sense when your every action is monitored and weighed on whether or not you should be sent to prison for life! You were willing to throw eveything away, this second chance millions would give an arm for, over some stupid arrgument over stuff that doesn't even matter! I mean did you stop and consider how what you did would affect us!? To see you carted away to some concrete pit where we can never see you again!? I just, godd- *Ribbit*"
A deep, inhuman croak came from her throat as red covered the entirety of her face and with it came a series of other sounds and grunts as she stomped around before grabbing Izuku by the collar and bringing him to her level.
"You're going to promise me that from this moment onward you aren't going to react violently to ANYTHING that goes on in this academy. I don't care if you get beat, you aren't going to waste your entire life over some stupidity. If something like that is going on then tell me or any of our classmates and we'll sort it out. I don't care if I need to choke someone out to make it happen, but this situation will not happen again, Midoriya. Am I clear?"
The young man found himself at a loss for words when confronted by how she spoke to him, but he had a feeling that writing her off or even just making an argument would not be in his favor. Besides, she was making very good points(even if he wanted to scoff at them). With a heavy heart he answered.
"Alright Tsuyu, I'll promise I won't get into any more fights for as long as I'm in the academy. You have my word on it."
That seemed to greatly lessen her ire towards him, but still she glared as she took a spot directly to his left and entrapped his arm in hers with a hard tug. Naturally Izuku was off guard to this, but there came a hard twist of his wrist that brought his attention back to reality as Tsuyu remained hard-faced.
"Good, but since you keep trying to butt heads with everyone, I'm staying right next to you until Miro senpai gets back on Monday."
Without another explanation or chance for rebuke she went forward with him and made her way to the dorms with Ochako silently following suit with Katsuki, leaving both men apprehensive about what was to come.