Enjoy.

He wasn't quick enough. He wasn't goddamn quick enough!

The image of that stupid freckled face decaying into ash is more than he can take. What a worthless hero he is. What a poor excuse.

Why the fuck was he bleeding!? He wasn't even anywhere near the big fight!

"Help us!"

Ground Zero blasts inside a crumbling building, saving the two civilians inside before parkouring it out. He lands with ease, setting them down with a huff and growling, "Go that way." He jerks his chin in the direction they should head.

"Ground Zero! Thank you so much!"

"Fuck you!" Zero calls over his shoulder as he continues rescuing the numbskulls who weren't able to get out. He's more mean and terse than usual, his thoughts filled with the dumb detective.

The guy should've stayed away. He shouldn't have come anywhere near the fight. Fucking moron with no goddamn quirk. What was he thinking!?

He hears in his ear piece, "After evacuations are complete, we request all heroes present at the fight with Shigaraki come to HQ next to the southern evacuation center for a debrief."

He snarls, "Copy." All of the other heroes offer various affirmations.

They're almost through rescuing all the civilians and herding them to evacuation centers. Cleanup teams have been deployed to mend the damages and brace any at-risk infrastructure. The city should be back to normal within the week. Except it won't be normal, because the stupid detective that works at the largest precinct in the city won't be there. He's probably dead already.

Zero punches nearby rubble at the image. He seethes, his angriest brows on display as he grinds his pristine teeth. His assigned section is cleared so he heads to the meeting place. There are food and beverages offered which he angrily takes.

Seating himself in a lone corner, he munches furiously. Of course, he never gets any fucking peace and quiet, because suddenly everybody wants to sit by him.

"What's your deal?" Ice Burn takes a seat in front of him, turned to look back at him.

"Leave me alone."

"Ground Zero! Nice fight out there, I'm always amazed when I get to see you in action," Uravity smiles at him as she takes the seat one over from him. "They're going to talk about Detective Midoriya, right?"

"Fuck off," he grumbles. Zero's eye twitches. Why are they always so buddy-buddy with him?

Someone he can tolerate pats his shoulder as they take the seat behind him, "You seem angrier than usual, dude, chill. I'm sure it's gonna work out." Cellophane grins at Uravity, "Don't mind him, he's just mad about Shigaraki disappearing again."

Creati sits beside Ice Burn, commenting, "All these years and his temper hasn't changed a bit."

Cellophane calls to Tsukuyomi seated closer to the front, "Hey, Tsukuyomi, get back here and sit with us. We're practically having a reunion back here."

Tsukuyomi stands and moves to the seat beside Cellophane, "I didn't think Shigaraki would hit here. We were lucky the detective was around."

Gale Force followed Tsukuyomi, as they were both seated by each other at the front talking. "Tell them what you told me. The guy was pretty beat up when Tsukuyomi found him and got him to the hotel lookout."

Tsukuyomi nods, "All bloodied up, I think he was caught up in some destruction caused by Tomura's first attack or something. He still made some great judgement calls. I think the government is a little frantic about losing him."

Creati chimes in, "When I was in the helicopter, I heard his colleague panicking on the phone with someone. We really do have to get him back somehow. I wonder what they're gonna say?"

"We haven't exactly gotten the drop on the League's whereabouts in a long time. They're only found when they want to be found. I don't see how we're going to help the situation." Ice Burn frowns to himself, voicing what everybody knows to be true.

"Hey, Ice Burn," Zero rumbles, "Go fuck yourself."

What are they going to do? How can they really help? The half-and-half bastard isn't wrong, and that's what makes him so infuriating.

Creati recognizes the detective who was by Midoriya's side at the hotel. She enters the room and sits on the desk at the front. She sighs, "I'm giving the debriefing. In case you guys don't know his name, I'm going to talk to you about Detective Midoriya Izuku. He's a major asset to the government for his insights on hero warfare. He was the one calling the shots at the fight earlier today, and he's also the one who was abducted by Shigaraki. We haven't had any contact with the League of Villains since then, and no sightings. We're not gonna give up on him though. I've known him to be tenacious in solving cold cases, and we're going to reflect that tenacity.

"I'm going to ask you all to keep quiet about the League's abduction of him. It has nothing to do with our reluctance to show our failures, but he is known to have a lot of enemies. They're across the board and may be able to negotiate with the League about his fate. We don't want that and that's why we're keeping his disappearance quiet. He's on an extended medical leave until further notice, caught up in the wreckage.

"So, you may be asking yourselves about your role in assisting in his rescue. I'm here to tell you that other than keeping your ear to the ground and performing your regular duties, there's nothing more for you to do at this moment. We have mobilized a full team of Search specialists to search for him. Once they find something, you all are our first calls. Any questions?"

Ground Zero stands, boiling with rage as he approaches the blonde detective. "Just one… Why did they let him get so near to the fight? He shouldn't have been anywhere near it," Zero grits. He towers over the seated female.

She stands her ground, narrowing her eyes at Zero, "He was there so he could see in real time what was happening. I would think a man so reputed as intelligent would understand that."

Small explosions pop off in his clenched fists before smoke begins rising. "He's quirkless."

The woman's eyes narrow further, "Using that excuse has never stopped danger from finding him. You think maybe if he stated it more often that he'd be untouchable?"

Zero backs down, shifting his stern gaze to the floor and relaxing his shoulders. She's right. In a world like this, being quirkless doesn't give you a pass from the horror. Villains exist at every turn and don't discriminate in how they choose their victims. It's just so shitty. Why does that damn nerd have to be in law enforcement?

The detective murmurs to him, low enough so only he can hear her, "I know you might feel different. He's mentioned that you two were friends when you were little."

Zero clenches his teeth before beginning to back away, "That shit's ancient history." He tears himself away, walking out of the debriefing room.

This is new. He can handle death threats and small skirmishes. Hell, he's even handled major injuries whether by large vehicles or strong quirks. He understands where they're coming from. He's done something they don't like, put away their friend, or been too good at his job. It always felt personal.

This doesn't seem personal. Maybe it is, and that's why he's still alive.

He's seated at a chair that he was practically pushed into. Shigaraki leans on a support post, watching him, conflicted about something.

"You're quirkless," the villain finally states.

Izuku's hands clench slightly, "What of it?" He expects some railing against the impossibility of being beaten by a quirkless foe.

Instead, Shigaraki asks, "How do you live?" How does one live powerless in a world where everyone has something that makes them more?

Izuku doesn't even know where to begin at the absurdity of the question. Has Shigaraki Tomura never seen a quirkless person before? "It's not that hard."

Tomura steps forward, "You remind me of someone, no, not me." His hand goes to his head before he turns away, "No, it's not me…" He moves to leave, heading up the creaky stairs of the basement they appear to reside in. "Make him feel welcome."

Izuku sits up straight as a very large female, some kind of black cat with green eyes, approaches him. Her muscles practically glint, they're so sharp. He swallows as she bares her fangs and pulls her fist back before letting loose. He and the chair are tipped back before her hand slams it down again. He breathes before more punches rain down on him.

He holds up his hands, coughing blood, "Wait, wait… Why are you doing this?" He's no stranger to torture, and usually there's some sort of question first. It always has a purpose.

The woman growls, "Do I need a reason?" She laughs suddenly, "You're taking this pretty well for a quirkless guy."

He wipes his chin, "I guess you could say that I learned to take a beating." He spits blood at his side.

Her gaze narrows, "Sounds like you should be on our side... This isn't going to be just some beating. I'm going to make you feel welcome. Prepare yourself." She draws her hand back, her razor sharp claws sticking out like knives. She rushes forward, jutting her hand up his stomach. His groan turns to a gurgle as he spits up more blood. She grins, "Have you ever been this close to death? Ever been so utterly outmatched and defeated? You're nothing."

Izuku flashes a smile as she lets him fall to the floor with a splat. His vision is fuzzy as his eyes fixate on something close yet distant.

That voice, that terrible voice from his youth resurrects in his final moments. He used to hope for death back then. Living powerless among the superpowers is truly a dilemma. He's not special. He's not destined for greatness. He's just a quirkless waste of space. This was always how his story would turn out, with him at the mercy of those blessed with strength. It's a kind of natural selection happening. To advance the race, the weak will always fall, and the strong endure. He's accepted his weakness at this point, embraced it even.

He blacks out as his body convulses and blood pools around him.

He wakes tied to the chair in the same basement. His vision focuses and he sees the hole in his shirt and his blood staining the fabric. There's a puddle of his blood on the floor where he collapsed as well.

It wasn't a dream. Why are his wounds gone?

Tomura comes into view, "I can give you power if you join me. You don't have to be nothing."

"No." Izuku glares at the villain, "I'm completely at your mercy, just kill me already. I'll never join you." Does Shigaraki really think he's the first one to ever extend an offer like that? Does he really think that Izuku's ideals are so meaningless?

"Why is that?" Tomura steps closer, considering the restrained individual.

"You may be stronger and have more power, but nobody cheers when the villain wins. And the heroes look so much better than your punk ass face." Izuku bites his tongue. In these situations, a side of him that's more like Bakugou always seems to come out.

Shigaraki leans down to eye level with Izuku. His hands extend and he rests them on Izuku's arms.

The decay is slow enough to make Izuku's lip twitch, but Tomura speeds it up. Izuku's eyes clench shut and he throws his head back as his skin and muscle crack under the cursed touch. Tomura chuckles, touching Izuku's face to make him scream in pain.

The villain backs off, "You remind me of him." Izuku's eyes open enough to see the confusion flash for a brief second before Tomura shakes his head. "No, but I think I like you."

The woman from before reappears and she shows Izuku her knuckles, "Ready to play again?"

They rinse and repeat this routine for who knows how long. Izuku is tired, the pain and wounds disappear, but he grows steadily more fatigued. Why are they continuing this? What's the purpose? Is there a purpose?

They don't seem to care about gleaning any information from him, about the heroes or how to get their comrades back. Shigaraki seems to just want complete subordination that Izuku continually refuses.

The green-haired wheezes, collapsed in the chair. Blood and spittle drip from his mouth. He discovered the type of cat is a panther. His eyes are open but cloudy. He's fading in and out of awareness. His body pulsates with pain. One of his lungs collapsed due to one of multiple broken ribs jabbing it. His skin is cracked and bleeding where Shigaraki touched.

All in all, Izuku is having a really bad day, or week? He's not sure how long this process has been going on for with all the times he's blacked out before coming to.

His body struggles to breathe and he gasps in pain. Tears build in his eyes, puffy from bruising.

He hears distantly, "Time to rewind him." His mind is out of his body until he sees ghostly white hair in his peripheral.

A sweet female voice muffles, "You guys get one more try, but after this, I'm not resetting him again."

Izuku feels a hand press against his cheek and his body sighs into her touch. His pain and aches melt away, as if they never happened. His struggle to breathe ceases as he takes a long breath. His tears remain as his vision focuses on a young woman leaned toward him. He whispers, "You have such a kind quirk." He cracks a small smile before passing out from exhaustion, sinking further into her gentle touch.

The woman straightens, her eyes a little wide in surprise at his words. No one has ever told her that her quirk was kind in nature. It is a cursed power. She mutters, "Idiot."

Tomura grins with cracked lips, "We better make this one count." Midoriya Izuku, the one Shigaraki wants to stand at his side someday. It's a shame about Dabi and those other three, but they were really just fucking around. Besides, Tomura could smell betrayal coming from Dabi, maybe it's for the best that they part ways.

Tomura smiles at Izuku, "I think I know how to make you mine."

"Come, Izuku, join us. The heroes don't care about you, they only care as far as they can use you." Even Tomura is getting bored with himself.

Izuku laughs dryly, "And you guys care? So you aren't trying to use me?"

"I'll prove it to you, and I'll give you something they can never give you."

"What's that?"

"Power. I'll give you power. I have a quirk that I think suits you. I'm going to let you go with it, free of charge, no strings. Maybe it will give you perspective." Tomura walks over to Izuku and lifts him by his shirt. "I can't let you off too easy though, people will think the League has gone soft." Their surroundings change from the basement to a wooded area. Tomura lets Izuku fall to his bloodied knees. The Panther woman already smashed one, and he has claw marks going down one half of his body. His arms have spots of decay, as well as his back, stomach, and his other cheek.

Shigaraki crouches, "You will join me, little brother." He rests one hand on Izuku's shoulder. Electricity crackles along Izuku's skin and he grits his teeth as something like fire rushes through his veins. He cries out as he feels his heart beat so acutely throughout his body. "Nobody cares about you, a quirkless tool. Well, now you'll see how that changes." Shigaraki stands as Izuku lays crumpled on himself among the dead leaves and foliage.

Izuku lays in his own little pool of blood for a while, barely cognizant. He struggles to prop himself up and examine his surroundings. When did Shigaraki leave?

Pressing a hand to his forehead, he groans. He's woozy from blood loss and shock. He needs to help himself right now, though. No time to be unconscious. He claws his way up a tree just to get himself standing. His vision is fuzzy and unreliable but he makes out tall trees around him. "Middle of nowhere? Shigaraki is really that cruel." Izuku begins walking.

It's the middle of the night, and he's finetuned to the nightlife. The bugs are loud this time of year. It's droning on and on that Izuku has to catch himself from passing out. He shakes his head, moving forward. He's just forcing his body to move, on autopilot, kind of directionless.

He's so out of his body, that he doesn't even realize till it's too late. Two headlights are upon him and the car clips him. He's recoiled back into the foliage he just left. Tears stream from his eyes as his brain registers new pain in his pelvic region. He yells, "Uuuggghhh!" The car didn't even stop.

He pants as he drags himself back toward the road. Resting one hand on the asphalt, he assures himself that civilization must be near. He begins his crawl, his wounds stinging the entire way. His body desperately wants to give out, from the blood loss to the trauma. It's the perfect time to dip out, but Midoriya continues pushing himself. Only when someone actively sees him can he let himself sleep. He could just as easily pass out and never wake up from these wounds, and he's terrified. Every time he wakes from a fainting spell could be his last moment alive. Finally, he nears a town, "Help…"

He has no power behind his voice. Then someone walks toward him and relief washes over him, "Help me." His heart sinks as they pass by him, not even a glance in his direction. It's strange that they don't even acknowledge him at all, however. He continues dragging himself and he nears a park. He waves, "Somebody help me!" None of the adults even flinch at his desperate call. He laughs suddenly. That piece of shit, Shigaraki! Trying to drive home his point?

Izuku won't take it personal that nobody will help, especially when they can't see nor hear him, motherfucker. Instead, he decides to head to the town's emergency hospital and climb onto one of their waiting room chairs. He figures the effect of whatever quirk Shigaraki used must end at some point. He doesn't stir even as people bump into him and recoil at the touch of a human when there should be none there.

It's night again when the quirk finally fades and the hospital staff doubletake at the bloodied man sitting in a chair. They rush to him and try to wake him, but he's not coming back up for a chat. A gurney is rolled over and they hoist him onto it. He stirs as his wounds are jostled. His eyes flutter briefly as he sees a nurse mouthing words at him. He's not aware enough to fully understand her. He murmurs, "Midoriya… Izuku… my pocket-" His badge is in his pocket.

There's too many people talking over him, so he isn't heard. The nurse assures him, "Don't worry, sir, we're gonna take care of you now. You're in good hands." Izuku blinks at her before he passes out again. This is fine. He can rest now.

As they're cutting his tattered clothes off him to get an idea of all the wounds they're dealing with, one doctor finds his badge in his pant pocket, "This guy is a detective, someone call the police to let them know we found one of theirs."

"Midoriya Izuku? Never heard of him?"

His supervisor gets the call around four in the morning, he answers, "There better be a damn good reason to wake me up-"

"Midoriya Izuku has been found, sir. He's in a hospital in a little mountain town."

The old cop sits up, "Get guards on him now, and call the hospital to let them know we're moving him as soon as they give the okay. I'll get everything ready."

Midoriya's supervisor works behind the scenes to prepare Izuku's transportation and get the doctors on standby.

Meanwhile, Izuku rests after surgery. They had to go in to fix his fractured pelvis, and replace his ruptured knee cap, as well as set some of his ribs. Don't even get them started on the multiple cuts and bandaging up where his skin was disintegrated.

The agents that meet them afterward are an absolute pleasure to deal with.

"He's an important asset, is he stable enough for travel?"

The lead doctor replies, "It'd be better if he wasn't moved."

"I understand but if he's moved, will he survive a trip?"

"Yes, he should be able to live through a helicopter ride."

"Good, then we'll be taking him when it gets here."

Izuku can only offer mild grimaces at the agents jostling his bed as they wheel him up to the helicopter and get him situated. They arrive at the government hospital for cops and heroes that need some healing off the books. It's later in the day that Izuku is rolled in. Government officials are posted everywhere, at all entryways and they patrol the halls. Important people get treatment here.

Bakugou and the other heroes enlisted in the search for him got the update of his apprehension. Bakugou asks the caller, "Where is he? I need to see him."

Bakugou meets Uraraka at the hospital unexpectedly, both of them are familiar with it. She carries flowers, "I didn't think you would visit him too."

Katsuki frowns before he admits, "We were friends when we were kids. His mom isn't around so…" He trails off. This is just something he feels obligated to do, it's not like he really cares about the guy or anything. Someone has to.

Ochako matches his frown, "Oh, so he doesn't have family to care for him." She smiles suddenly as they make their way through the winding halls and go up the elevator to his floor.

Katsuki isn't sure what he was expecting, but it wasn't this. The hospital room is filled with various bouquets of flowers and baskets of various snacks. His lip twitches at some unknown emotion. This nerd has a life, and people care about him. He's not by himself. What the fuck…

Izuku still hasn't woken though the doctors expect it will be any day now.

Ochako adds her flowers to the pile with a note. She smiles, "He seems to be doing okay. Oh, here's one from the Pussycats. A lot of different people are hoping he gets better soon."

A young male voice cuts in, "Yeah, but they don't really know him." Ochako and Katsuki both turn to the scarred individual rolling himself to Izuku's bedside. Kouta remarks, "They just want him to get back to work as quickly as possible, whether he wants to or not."

Katsuki pulls up a chair, "Oh? And you care about him?"

Kouta shakes his head, "No, he would never let me. Look at me, do I look like someone you should confide in and trust to have your back?" Kouta chuckles, "No, I'm not someone he can count on. But he's already established himself as someone everybody else can count on." Kouta cares in a morbidly curious kind of way. The way he sees it is that both he and Izuku have been dealt bad hands in life. Still, Izuku can get up everyday and go to work, going up against the most dangerous individuals when he doesn't have any power of his own to rely on. It gives Kouta hope for his own life.

Ochako smiles, watching Kouta's quivering lip. She chides gently, "You do care about him."

Kouta frowns, memories of Izuku flicker behind his eyes. He lowers his gaze as tears brim, "I can't do anything for him."

Katsuki and Ochako's eyes widen when Izuku's hand lifts and drops to pat Kouta's head, he murmurs, "You're here. It's enough."

Kouta clasps his hand, "Midoriya-san, I was so worried. We thought you were dead. This is the worst we've ever found you."

Izuku's eyes blink as his vision becomes clearer. His voice is still tired, "I know… Go call Tsukauchi-san, is he around?"

Kouta straightens up, "Yeah, I think so. I'll call him." Kouta leaves the room to make the call.

Izuku's hand moves to his face as he rubs his forehead and feels the bandages. His other hand feels around before Katsuki places the remote in his hand. He mutters, "Thanks," and makes the bed sit him up slightly. Then he hits the button to call for a nurse.

The nurse rushes in only to exclaim, "You're awake! I'll get the doctor!"

Kouta comes back in to hand the phone to Midoriya. Izuku pinches the bridge of his nose as he answers Tsukauchi, "... No, they didn't ask me for any information. Shigaraki just said he wants me for their side, and that's why I'm alive... It doesn't seem like he's going to come after me anytime soon... Anybody make any moves while I was gone?" He pauses before smiling, "I see, that's good… Alright, yes sir." He hands the phone back to Kouta who ends the call.

The doctor comes in, "Midoriya-kun, I have to say these were the worst injuries I've seen yet. How do you handle this all the time?"

"I get paid very well," Izuku wears a strained smile. What a question to ask. He doesn't get paid damn near enough to deal with these wounds. This is his third abduction. The first one happened when he was still in America, and the last one was a few years ago. He tries to not make these situations a habit.

"Maybe you can help us understand some of them. We know Shigaraki's handiwork and some of the minor stuff, but what's the deal with your hip? How did that happen?"

"I got hit by a car."

"A hit and run while you were escaping?"

"No, they didn't see me. Shigaraki made me invisible." Izuku's smile twitches.

The doctor frowns, "I see, that makes sense. I can guess what happened with the rest." It's standard torture, anybody with eyes can see. "Well, we got some of our healing quirk users to focus on your disintegrated skin, but it will probably be a long healing process. I already cleared you from work for at least two weeks. Quirks like Recovery Girl's are hard to come by these days."

Izuku's mind supplies the fuzzy image of white hair and a young voice. What did Shigaraki do to get himself an ally like that? What a beautiful quirk.

The doctor leaves him after promising to send in food. Izuku sinks back into the bed after he leaves. He offers a small smile to Kouta, "You didn't get into any trouble while I was away, did you?"

"What? No, I've been doing the same job I always do."

"I'm gonna ask around when I get back." Izuku teases and Kouta's brows furrow as he considers what people around the precinct might say.

Ochako politely interjects, "Well, I'm glad I got to see you okay, Midoriya-san. I just wanted to thank you for your direction and hard work during that encounter. I doubt we could have accomplished so much without you there. Please get well soon," she bows before leaving.

Izuku waves, "Pleasure working with you."

Katsuki eyes his expressions suspiciously. This guy is a master of deception, isn't he? He catches Kouta staring at him. When their eyes meet, the younger nods at him.

Kouta grins, "Well, I should get going too. I'll let the Pussycats know you're awake. They'll probably want to visit soon."

"That'd be great," Izuku lies.

Izuku watches Kouta leave and then he turns to Katsuki, expectantly. Bakugou waits a minute, meeting Izuku's desperate eyes. Katsuki then gets up to close the door and shut off the lights before walking back, "Go ahead, I don't see anything."

Izuku feels hot tears pricking at his eyes, and he ashamedly buries his face in his pillow. Relief washes over him as he keens quietly. He thought he was going to die too. Bitter tears seep from his eyes as he curses his predicament. Stupid quirkless, and everybody else is just as hopeless. He's only alive because Shigaraki wished it. The pain too. Oh god he still feels it so acutely. His body aches, and it makes him sob even harder at the stupidity of it all. He wants to quit. He's so tired of this bullshit.

He freezes at Katsuki's hand rubbing his back. It calms him slightly as he settles down. Katsuki mutters, "Figures, you're still a big cry baby."

Izuku sighs as Katsuki runs his hand through his messy locks. He's grateful. Everybody needs a good breakdown sometimes before they can build themselves back up, stronger than ever.

Izuku falls asleep, tired from the overflowing emotions.

He wakes haphazardly, panicked about his location because of the black meeting his open eyes. Then he feels one of his hands squeezed, and a groggy Katsuki reassures him, "You're in the hospital, you're safe."

Izuku exhales sharply, settling back in. His tired voice grumbles, "Shouldn't you go home, don't you have work tomorrow?"

Katsuki answers, "Nope, I'm off."

"Why? You're not the type of hero to take breaks?"

Bakugou blinks open his eyes, he murmurs, "Well, I figured an old friend of mine could use some company after a shitty experience."

Izuku's eyes narrow. Friend? Him? They're closer to nemeses than friends.

Katsuki continues, "I was a dick to him when we were kids, but after losing so much, I kinda got some perspective. I isolated myself, thinking I had to do it alone, but All Might was never really alone. He had people helping him too. He was all around a good guy, and he didn't deserve his end. I don't want to set myself back as a hero because I'm too much of a coward to accept help when I need it."

Izuku resonates, "I agree. Being quirkless, everyone always wants to help me, like I'm disabled somehow. I resent it sometimes but I have to accept it. There are some fights I can't win and I'm so bitter about it. I get where you're coming from."

It's still dark in the room, and Katsuki finally rests his eyes on Izuku's form. "Why did you leave before taking the UA entrance exam? I didn't peg you for a quitter."

Izuku frowns, taking his hand from Katsuki's sweaty palm, "Well, I also got some perspective. I met All Might; he told me to give up on becoming a hero, and suggested I go into police work. I couldn't stay in Japan and be so close to my disappointment. I had to leave. As you know, I visited for her funeral. Seeing Japan in so much turmoil, that gave me some more perspective and I decided to go into police work. I studied in America and kinda became a hotshot over there before transferring here."

"I see. Seems we've both been working hard for our ideals."

Izuku laughs, "It's just one case at a time for me, but you get to go up against heavy hitters pretty often."

Katsuki shakes his head, "Nah, they're just the people making the most noise. It's pretty rare I go after people pulling the strings but it seems those are all your cases."

"Sometimes it turns out that way, but I also made my start in petty crimes. I worked the beat in America when I first started too. Officer Midoriya with my gun and everything. Americans and their guns and their quirks, let me tell you." Izuku grins as he considers the training in America. That's probably where his love and reliance on guns came about.

Katsuki chuckles, "I couldn't believe it was you when I was assigned to protect you. Midoriya Izuku, that nerd is in law enforcement? And you're really good at your job too, it makes me feel like an even bigger dick for doubting you."

"Well, I didn't think you would make a good hero but here we are." The guy did tell him to jump off a tall building, and here they are reminiscing about everything. It's a strange world.

Katsuki nods, "Yeah, here we are."

Izuku yawns suddenly before he quiets down again. "You can go home, I'll be okay…"

Katsuki shakes his head, stretching out, "Nah, you're a good liar." He leans back, his eyes sealing shut once again, "They really should make these chairs more comfortable," he sighs.

Izuku settles back down, his eyes drooping once more. He's not sure when he drifts off but flashes of pain make him flinch repeatedly. His flinching then stirs up real pain from his wounds. He rolls onto his back, gasping and groaning, clenching his teeth so tight. He breathes quickly, tears escaping his tightly shut eyes.

"Deku, calm down-"

"Don't call me Deku," he grunts.

"Where does it hurt, shitty nerd."

"Everywhere," he moans.

"Just breathe easy, it'll pass."

It hurts, it hurts so much. He can't breathe, there's not enough air in here. How do people breathe when their ribs are on fire? His knee and hip are screaming at him too. He holds his hand against his ribs, trying to calm himself down. He shouldn't have moved so quickly with these wounds. Stupid sleeping brain.

He exhales slowly and his breaths get deeper. His eyes flutter open as Katsuki leans over him. Has he really looked at this man in all the interactions they've had thus far? Katsuki peers down at him with concern etched into every corner of his face, sleep still in the corners of his eyes. Izuku closes his eyes to the image, what a specimen.

The hero frowns, "Are you okay? What was that all about?"

Midoriya grunts, "It was nothing." He doesn't want to talk about the time he spent with Shigaraki.

Katsuki sees the wall go up around Izuku. He shakes his head with a roll of his eyes, "Whatever, I gotta show my face at my office or the extras will slack off. I'll be back later." He can see Izuku needs some alone time.

Izuku chews on his inner cheek as he hears Katsuki leave the room. Once he's gone does Izuku open his eyes to glare at his hands. What quirk did Shigaraki give him? He's losing his mind. What if it's not suited for his body and he explodes or something? Any wrong move and he could be done for. What will the others say if they see he has a quirk after being captured by the League? Will they trust that he didn't want it? No, people will definitely consider him as changing sides or playing their side.

He could cry in frustration, but he's shed enough tears today.

The day may have gone better if it were quiet. Instead, Izuku was visited nonstop by heroes and coworkers alike. He's literally a captive audience. What can he do?

He smiles and nods, laughing at all the right moments. They're telling him to shake it off. When is he supposed to come back to work? It could be worse, you know? Would you mind taking a look at this case? I know you, nobody can keep you down.

Izuku chuckles, "Ha ha, yeah, just email me the case files, and I'll give it a look after I get my laptop…"

Only when visiting hours are officially over can he lie back and let his eyes droop. What an exhausting day. He should be grateful, right? So many people count on him, and want him to get better. They're rooting for him, so they say… Why does he still feel so empty? Why can't he be in the moment, instead of wishing the moment were over?

He rubs his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose. What does it feel like when you know someone actually cares about you? Images of his mother flash behind his mind's eye. She must've loved him, he knows it. She's the one person that he knows loved him truly. Why can't he feel that again?

A yawn interrupts his brooding. He's so tired, despite not technically doing anything today.

This time he's interrupted by the door opening and Katsuki turning on the lights, "It's only seven, are you sleeping already? How much can a guy sleep?"

Izuku peels open his eyes to glare at the blond. He didn't think the guy would actually come back. He's over it. "You're back. Don't you have a life outside of bothering me?"

Katsuki's eyes narrow at Izuku's tone. "You're pretty grouchy, what's your problem?"

"I want to be alone, I'm tired. I haven't asked you to be here because you're not needed here. Go play hero somewhere else." Izuku turns away, closing his eyes as he tries to dismiss Katsuki so he can sleep in peace.

Katsuki walks over to drop a bag of food on Izuku's table, "I brought you food. I'll catch you later then." He stalks out, his own brooding begins to manifest as he leaves.

Sometimes, to be listened to, you have to get mean. Izuku doesn't regret his tone or his words. It's well and fine that they cleared up some stuff between them from before, but they don't have to be in each other's lives all the time now. Izuku doesn't think he wants to be Katsuki's friend, nor does he want him as a friend. They can be work associates.

Midoriya is alone when he's discharged a week later. He didn't tell anyone because he wants to be left alone. He's exhausted from coworkers and heroes still calling and emailing him as if he's on duty. Can he have a minute to heal at least?

He hobbles onto a bus, headed to his home. Elbow crutches assist his walk. He rides the bus for a good hour or so to his stop, before he hobbles off and begins his walk home. He was released in the late afternoon, so he walks as the heat gives way to a cool night.

He assumed he'd feel peace, that the trip might give him clarity. Instead, his heart pumps in his chest. His hairs are standing on end.

No one saw him leave, right? Is somebody following him?

He's not exactly in a condition where he can rush home. If he moves too quickly, his wounds practically scream at him.

It's no relief when he does finally make it inside. The black of his house is consuming, and strangers hide in every shadow. He heads to his bedroom closet, shutting the doors and locking every one behind him until sliding against his closet door, sitting against it while trying to get his breathing under control.

He's okay. He's safe. Then again, he's never safe because of his stupid job. There's always something, always someone threatening him and his safety. He's tired, and he desperately wants to rest, but how can he? So he doesn't sleep.

He catches up on emails instead, and he's got emails for many days of work. His eyes are glued to the screen, reading messages and typing responses. He pours himself into work, barely eating or taking breaks.

It's this kind of routine for a week at least, not that he's keeping track of time. Something gives when there's a knock at the door. Reality chills his bones but his heart rate pumps adrenaline through his blood. He can barely see or walk straight as he makes his way to the foreboding door. He notices it's daytime, so it's less likely to be another attack.

He has to lean against the wall by his door as he cracks it open. His voice is breathy and quiet as he greets, "If this is another attack, I'm not much up to fight right now."

Somebody's concerned voice enters his head as he feels the world tipping, "Midoriya?"

The walls and door seem to be falling away from him before he barely notices someone catching him. He's so dizzy as his eyes droop.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Izuku breathes, "I can't sleep, I have to get back to work." He presses his head against the chest of the person holding him, trying to ground himself. The dizziness won't go away so easily, however. He grimaces as the memories flash behind his eyelids. He opens them, "No, no," he shakes his head, trying to rid himself of the sleep tugging at his bones.

"You need to sleep, you're exhausted. You can't even stand, dude."

"I don't want to… I just-" his head rolls as the person stands up with him. He pleads, "Stop. I don't-"

"You need this. How long have you been awake? Izuku?"

Izuku feels as if the ground has invisible tendrils dragging him down, like he can't move anymore. His breathing deepens as his body starts slowing down. He's lowered onto his bed which likens to a cloud as his brain rushes to put him to rest.

With the last of his defiance, he peels open his eyes to the image of a fuzzy blond leaned over him, and he whispers, "I'm scared…" He reaches out to the person and they catch his hand.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll protect you."

Izuku's eyes blink shut as he finally passes out.

Katsuki frowns as he watches Izuku essentially go into a coma. He just came by for a visit to see how Izuku is doing after being discharged. He heard from a colleague that Izuku has been responding to emails and calls despite being on medical leave.

He thought it was a good sign, but this is terrible. The house is a mess of dust, dishes are festering in the sink, and Izuku reeks.

He presses a palm to Izuku's forehead. He's slightly feverish.

Katsuki groans, "What am I doing?" He scratches his forehead before sighing. Fine. He'll take responsibility. Lightly slapping himself, he begins moving about the house, cleaning and tidying up.

He mutters, "This is below my pay grade." He updates the fridge, does the laundry, and washes the dishes. It's all spotless before returning to Izuku.

The days are quiet as Izuku slumbers, until the fourth night. Katsuki stirs on the couch as soft moans reach his ears. He sits up and checks on Izuku. The green-haired is curled in on himself tight. His hands grip the covers he's tangled himself in. He grits his teeth painfully, shivering every once in a while.

"Stop." It's a whisper of a word. He turns, "Please-" A jolt ripples through him as if anticipating a shock.

Katsuki walks over, "Wake up, man. You're dreaming." He leans over the bed, "Midoriya… Wake up." He reaches to rest a hand on Izuku's shoulder.

Izuku's eyes burst open and he grips Katsuki and in a quick motion throws him over the bed and onto the floor of the opposite side, putting him in an instinctual hold.

Katsuki holds up his hands, and lights small explosions in his palms for some light in the dark room. He grunts, "It's me, dude, chill."

Izuku's firm grip loosens before he sighs and releases Katsuki, "Sorry," is all he can mutter. He steps off the blond, rubbing his eyes. He stumbles slightly as his coordination reconfigures and he registers pain from his healing bones.

Katsuki gets up too, rolling his shoulders, "That wasn't completely unexpected… Are you awake now? You hungry?"

Izuku faces his childhood tormentor, "What happened? Why're you in my house?"

Katsuki shrugs as he moves to stand in the doorway, "I came by to check on you when you collapsed. I've just been hanging out since then… keeping an eye on things..." He said he was going to protect the guy, but that'd be too embarrassing to reiterate.

Izuku suddenly remembers their exchange and he takes a seat on his bed, resting his face in his hand, "Oh, right. That must've been concerning, uh." He rubs his face, "Sorry about that. It's not completely unheard of from me-"

Katsuki sucks in a breath, "Oh, really," his brows raise and he blinks slowly while processing that information. He chuckles, beginning to walk away, "Yeah, okay, well, I'll let you get back to it then."

Izuku frowns, standing and following him, "Wait, you don't have to go. I owe you one for looking out."

Katsuki waves a hand as he wants to gather his things, "Don't worry about it. I'll see you around."

Izuku blocks him, "Let me say thank you sometime. Why the sudden rush?" He's trying to return the kindness but now Katsuki is being extremely difficult. What? Does he want to hold this over him or something?

Bakugou stares face-to-face with Izuku, a hard stare into green eyes, "Listen, let's just call this a professional courtesy. It's not a big deal anyway right? Happens all the time…" His red eyes veer off to the side and he tries to walk past but Izuku holds firm. The blond stares at the wall, "Haven't I wasted enough time here?"

Izuku's frown deepens and he scowls, "No, you helped me when you didn't have to and I appreciate it..."

Katsuki lowers his gaze, taking a shaky breath. He can't get the image of Izuku collapsing in his arms out of his head. That has happened before? How many times has Izuku overworked himself to that point? Some kind of emotion, like a deep concern and fear, rises in Bakugou like a curse. Why does he do that to himself?

The blond can't help the tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, he growls, "Move."

Izuku holds himself steady, his arm across Katsuki's chest with his hand braced on the wall. "What's your-" He pauses when he feels drops of water on his arm.

Katsuki rests his hand on Izuku's arm; he grips it and tears it away before beginning to walk out.

Izuku calls, "Hey, wait, what's wrong?" He jogs to catch up before catching Katsuki's arm so the blond jerks behind him.

"What!?" He bites back angry tears more visible in the lit foyer.

Izuku holds up his hands, unsure if he can ask, but he powers through, "Why the tears? What'd I miss?"

Katsuki shakes his head, "I don't want to deal with this, Midoriya," he gestures to their surroundings. "I've got enough to do with work, fighting the bad guys and trying to be there for their victims. You're a grown man, I don't want to feel responsible for you too, like I have to check up on you. I need to stop." He shakes his head, wiping his tears.

This was a bad idea. Izuku can take care of himself, he's not Katsuki's concern. The blond was hoping to rekindle their friendship, after so many losses, he could use a win. Instead, he'd just be adding another problem to his list of growing headaches. He realizes that now.

Izuku sighs, "Look, I'm not saying we have to be the best of friends for me to return the favor. You did this off duty, so I genuinely owe you. I am a grown man, that's easy to see and you don't need to point that out. I was gonna pass out sooner or later like I normally do, but I answered the doorbell when I'm not one to get visitors… Okay, it's not like I'm out in the field on a regular basis either. There's no reason for you to worry about me, just sometimes I work until I pass out, sometimes that's the only way for me to get to sleep…"

Izuku approaches Katsuki before he rests a hand on the hero's shoulder, "I'm a detective, a cop, and I'm not here to make your life harder. I want to help."

Katsuki rolls his eyes to meet Izuku's before he averts his gaze again and takes an even breath, "Okay, we're square." Katsuki glimpsed the concern and care pooled in Izuku's kind eyes, the same as when they were kids. Izuku used to have the purest eyes in their youth, but now they're usually cold and hard.

Katsuki wipes his tears again. He wants to get his mind off things every once in a while too.

Izuku asks, "How about we order in and watch a movie?"

Katsuki agrees with a nod before he takes a seat on Izuku's couch. He smiles breathlessly, "Would you mind showering first… You reek."

Izuku points a finger gun, "Will do, just give me fifteen. I'll be right back."

Katsuki leans back on the couch, closing his eyes and resting a hand across his face. Sometimes he also gets flooded with emotions all at once. That was embarrassing.

Izuku takes a minute in the shower as he lets the water wash over him. Katsuki worries about him? Actual concern, enough to get so worked up about his work habits? Despite himself, a smile pulls at the corners of his lips. He'd have never guessed Bakugou cares about him and isn't just using him for work. Most heroes he works with tend to a more professional relationship. They want his favor so he'll put them on important cases. He can't blame them. They get more fame, money, and prestige when they work; government officials who make the whole process move along get scraps or diddly. He can't say he'd be immune to the lavish lifestyle if he were a hero either.

If it turns out that Bakugou really does care about Izuku, and wants to be friends, then shouldn't Izuku reciprocate his effort? They started out as friends, didn't they? Before Bakugou became a narcissist, they were friendly and had a mutual friendship. It's so hard to recall the pleasant moments of their relationship after ruminating on the bad times throughout these years. Can they really be friends again?

Izuku scrubs himself. He searches inside himself, reflecting before shrugging, "Maybe, can't hurt to try."

A/N: Reviews are my life blood when writing guys. I saw the review on here, and it made me so excited. Three people left reviews on Ao3 too, all very kind words. It honestly gives me a drive to write. I can't express the happiness I get when people respond. I had this written already, but I added a lot more just on inspiration alone. Thank you guys for the attention to this story, truly. I hope y'all enjoyed! \*0*/

I should also mention that I update every week depending how far I am on writing. If it gets close to where I've left off then I extend the updates to every other week, possibly two weeks. I'll try to give notice if I think I need more time or space between updates.