"Todoroki, I'm so sorry," Izuku breathed.
The boy's face was nearly emotionless, merely the slightest bit quizzical. "I feel… strange. Sharing my story doesn't fix anything, but somehow I feel lighter."
We'll see if something can be fixed Izuku thought to himself, ideas already rampaging through his mind. But Todoroki was expecting an answer, so Izuku handed a paper with his phone number to Todoroki and said, "I'm glad you shared. If I can ever do anything to help you, or if you ever need someone to listen to you, you know how to find me."
Todoroki nodded before slowly rising from the couch. "I still don't intend to use the other half of my quirk."
"I figured as much. It takes time, but I hope you know that this won't last forever. Someday, somehow you won't have to worry about Endeavor anymore."
That was the closest that Izuku dared to promise that he would get Todoroki out of the whole situation. He already had a dozen half-baked plans to liberate the boy, and twice that if he was willing to resort to less than legal methods.
Despite that, the haunted look in the boy's eyes felt like a punch to the gut. Todoroki rose, walking to the door. Just before he left, he paused. He didn't meet Izuku's eyes as he said, "I appreciate the sentiment, but this world doesn't have anyone to save us from the heroes."
Izuku could only watch Todoroki leave, his heart breaking a bit more with every step. Kota was fuming as well. "Is that stupid hero going to get away with this?" he demanded.
"Not if I can help it," Izuku said, clenching a fist.
"I knew heroes were dumb," Kota sneered. "But he still wants to be one like an idiot. Besides, he was here forever."
"It was just twenty minutes," Izuku scoffed, flicking the bill of the boy's hat. "Besides, he needed to let his quirk rest."
The boy scoffed, but it didn't have quite the same venom that it had that morning.
Kota and Izuku spent the rest of the day like that, playing however Kota felt. At first it had been hard to believe that Kouta was only five years old, even younger than Kimiko. But it started showing the longer Izuku was there, like when he pouted a bit whenever another student was sent to Izuku. After Monoma from 1-B was sent to him for the third time with heat stroke from his costume, Kota threw a bucket of ice on the teenager.
Overall, throughout the training portion of the day there weren't any disasters. Everyone made it out alive, they just looked dead. Izuku felt a little bad seeing how much they struggled making dinner. (He decided to blame it on their exhaustion. Surely Iida had peeled a potato before.)
He spent a few minutes before the meal doling out painkillers like they were candy on Halloween. Kacchan didn't ask for any, though, and Izuku didn't offer. Uraraka brightened from where she saw him. "Midoriya! Do you want to sit wit-"
Pixie Bob seemingly materialized, slinging an arm around Izuku's shoulders. "It's my favorite kitten! Once the food is done, you're sitting with us. It's too bad you missed out on yesterday's food, let's just hope the students made something palatable."
Regrettably, Izuku didn't get a chance to talk to Uraraka that night. Whenever he thought he saw the chance, Pixie Bob would whisk him away, or Ragdoll would call him over to get his opinion on training for individual students.
Unbeknownst to him, each time this happened, the most entertaining emotions would play over Uraraka's face, emotions that the girl herself wasn't ready to name. Izuku wondered why Pixie Bob and Ragdoll kept snickering to themselves, but after enough thought, he realized he wanted no part in it, whatever it was.
All in all, the night came and went without incident. The next day was much of the same, thought at this point the students looked positively haggard, particularly the ones going through the remedial lessons as well. Monoma barely had the energy to even insult the other class.
Halfway through the day, though, Izuku couldn't help the feeling that something was off. He was restless enough that he couldn't finish his latest analysis, and opted instead to go for a walk with Kota. The boy was happy to show off his secret hideout - apparently Izuku was the first person to ever be allowed to see it. He appreciated the trust that Kota clearly had in him, and the walk did help for a bit.
He couldn't be gone for long, though. He was expected to be available for medical assistance, after all.
So he paced and found small tasks for himself, growing more anxious by the minute. Despite his better judgement, Izuku found himself with his phone pressed to his ear, waiting for the voice he wanted to hear most in the world at that moment.
"Musutafu Police Department, Detective Tsukauchi speaking."
Just the sound of his voice quelled Izuku's anxiety more than anything else had that day. He had to swallow before he felt ready to respond. "Hey Tsukauchi, it's Izuku."
"Midoriya!" The man exclaimed, collapsing into his chair. "How are you? Is your training going well? You're probably a crack shot with a pistol already."
"Oh, Tsuragamae didn't tell you? He's probably been busy. I'm not at the police station, they kind of loaned me out to a summer camp for hero students."
"They WHAT?!" Tsukauchi demanded. In the background a slight mumbling could be heard, and Tsukauchi said, "Just go sit down, Toshinori. This is an important phone call."
"You can hang up if you're busy," Izuku said, guilt immediately replacing some of his anxiety. "I don't really-"
"Don't worry about it, Midoriya. It's just my old friend Yagi Toshinori. We were just about to go to dinner. He's got the day off, so he can afford to wait for me. Now why exactly aren't you at the police station?"
Still feeling guilty, Izuku shortened (and downplayed) the story as much as possible, but Tsukauchi was having none of it. He dragged each and every detail out of Izuku.
"That station is a disgrace to Japan's police force," Tsukauchi said when Izuku was finished. "Rest assured that Tsuragamae and I will be paying them a visit very soon. But it sounds like you're safe, happy, and gaining experience on top of that. If anyone can make a good thing out of a situation like this, it's you, Midoriya."
Unexpectedly (who was he kidding?) Izuku found himself fighting back tears. "Thanks, Detective. I needed to hear that."
"You sound a little nervous, but I meant what I said. If anything does happen, just trust your instincts as long as they're not telling you to stab yourself with a sword." Tsukauchi chuckled at Izuku's groan. "And don't be afraid to have fun."
"I won't. Thanks, Tsukauchi."
"Anytime, Midoriya."
Just before Tsukauchi hung up, Saito was clearly audible from the other room. "Wait, you're talking to Little Midoriya? Tell him to-"
Izuku pondered what her message could have been, but to this day it remains one of life's great mysteries.
Dinner rolled around once more, and the food got even worse, somehow. In some cases it seemed that Class 1-B was determined to get in 1-A's way, which led to some truly tragic treatment of the food.
Class 1-B was an interesting study for Izuku. His personal experiences with people his own age were horribly skewed, and Class 1-A were the only other hero students he had ever met. They were the same age, and in theory on the same level as Class 1-A, but markedly different. In some cases there was a clear feeling of inferiority, though there was no need to name names. They had much of the same ambition and drive as the other class, but many of them lacked the same confidence and experience. Class 1-B was closer than any of the classes Izuku had ever been a part of himself, but Class 1-A was quickly becoming a family.
He observed the classes and their reactions when it was announced that there would be a test of courage. However, the excitement and instant plotting of how to apply their quirks instantly soured Kota's mood. The kid had been doing well that day, but it was clear that thirty-nine hero students talking excitedly about using their quirks was too much for the boy. He stood up abruptly, storming away.
"I'm going to go talk with him," Izuku whispered to Mandalay, slipping away.
As he expected, Kota was sulking in his hideout. Izuku cleared his throat more to announce his presence before collapsing on the ground next to the boy. "I know the food isn't great, but you still need to eat. You're going to be really hungry if you leave every meal like that."
The boy hesitated before turning his eyes to Izuku, anger still blazing in them. "Why did you ever want to be one of those idiots? They think they're so great with their quirks, but they're just going to get themselves killed one day."
Izuku contemplated a moment. "Kota, your parents were the Water Hose duo, weren't they? No, Mandalay didn't tell me," he said, cutting the boy off. "I'm sure you loved them, and they loved you more than anything."
"If they loved me so much why did they leave? It's dumb. All of it is dumb." Kota said viciously.
"They were heroes because they wanted to stop other people from being separated from their families just like you were," Izuku said, blinking back tears. "And it's not fair that this was how they were repaid. It's okay to be angry, Kota, but one day you have to let something else in."
"What do you know, you just wish you had a quirk," Kota spat, almost feral.
"I used to, yeah," Izuku admitted. "I still think they're cool, but I wanted to use it to save people. I just found different ways to do that based on my own abilities. One day you'll understand why heroes do what they do. I know it."
"Really?" Kota asked, torn between emotions.
"Don't hold your breath kid," a gruff, unfamiliar voice interjected. "I still don't understand why heroes do anything they do."
Izuku froze at the sight of the hulking figure approaching. All of his apprehension form earlier in the day flared up right then. He stepped in front of Kota, one hand coming to rest on the Save My Fanny Pack.
"This is private property. Can I help you? Offer directions, perhaps?" Izuku said, proud that his voice didn't waver.
The man scrutinized Izuku for a few moments before pulling off his mask. "I'm new, so I get the second-rate equipment. You weren't on the list, so I won't kill you or the kid unless you get in my way. Deal?"
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave the property," Izuku said, inching the fanny pack's zipper open. The man's face was familiar, with blond hair and an eye that was clearly prosthetic, though Izuku couldn't quite place-
"Muscular," Kota breathed from behind him. "That's who you are, isn't it!"
Izuku froze as the man laughed. "Oh, so you've heard of me. So convince your brother to pretend he never saw me so you both can make it out alive."
"I don't have a brother," Kota hissed, dodging around Izuku. "And I don't have parents now because of you!"
"Oh? This must be fate then. I can send you to be with your dear old Mom and Dad," Muscular said, flexing an absurdly large arm. "Either that or you walk away and pretend this never happened. Your choice, kid."
"I have a question first," Izuku interrupted desperately. "Please."
Muscular turned to meet eyes with Izuku and leaned down the slightest bit, clearly entertained. "And what is that?"
"Your prosthetic eye, is it as sensitive as your original one?"
"What?" Muscular demanded, clearly thrown off by the question. He was so baffled that he leaned down further towards Izuku. "Why would you-"
The man cut off in a roar of pain when Izuku emptied the canister of pepper spray directly into Muscular's face, his finger pressing down so hard it broke the trigger. Blinded, Muscular reeled backwards, wildly swinging his fists.
Izuku hooked one arm around Kota, hoisting the boy into his arms and sprinting as quickly and quietly as was physically possible through the forest.
"What did you just do? He's going to catch us?" Kota hissed.
"His eyes are one of his only weak spots," Izuku said as quietly as possible while leaping over a fallen log. "Your parents figured that out. I just used pepper spray. He won't be able to see clearly at least long enough for us to get reinforcements."
In the distance Muscular could be heard crashing through the trees, but it was the sound of Mandalay's voice in his mind was what almost made him trip. When the message finished, Kota's grip on Izuku tightened.
"What does this all mean?" he asked, scared.
"It means that Muscular wasn't alone, and we need to be careful," Izuku said. "It also means that I'm going to be giving my all to protect you."
Excerpts from Izuku's Analysis
Name: Saito Kirimi
Age: 28
Height:190 cm (6'3")
Occupation: Police Officer
Physical Description: An obscenely tall, thin woman with a loud laugh, long magenta hair and golden eyes. She is most frequently seen in her police uniform, though her casual clothes generally consist of jeans and t-shirts with a bright red leather jacket that clashes with her hair. (She reportedly wears the jacket BECAUSE she has had people tell her she shouldn't.)
Personality: Fun-loving and quick-witted; I didn't know the full implications of the word "spitfire" until I met Saito. However, she is also incredibly loyal and protective - stay on her good side at all costs.
Quirk: Enhanced Senses - This quirk, like Tsukauchi's, is always active. It's nothing that Saito can control, she merely has the ability to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch things beyond the normal human's capacity. She can sense more with the presence of intense emotions, but the full scope of her quirk is hitherto untested.
Notes: For the readers own safety, know to 1) never stand between Saito and Detective Kimura, either you will be caught in the middle of a prank war that could be deadly, or become the subject of the prank. 2) Never assume that anything you say or do is unnoticed. Saito sees all. Saito knows all.
A/N: Thank you all for your patience and your encouragement! I wanted to have this chapter out on the Fourth of July because it was Inko's birthday, but I had some family come into town about a week ago, and I've been chasing children around practically the whole time. On another note, it was also Captain Celebrity's birthday, which is fitting. I just started reading the Vigilantes manga, and I now feel morally obligated to include a few of those characters in Detective Midoriya. I've had requests for it, so let me know what you all think about that idea! Also let me know how I did on this chapter, I've re-written it a few times, and I'm still deciding how I feel. Come talk to me on Tumblr at rogueptoridactyl!