I have returned bringing another chapter to this nice little tale! I hope you all enjoy it!
I do not own My Hero Academia. I very much wish I did so I could canonically have more hobo dad content.
Shouta rolled over and shivered, clutching the blankets tighter around him.
"Is he finally waking up again?" Chiyo asked.
A hand stroked through his hair.
"I hope not," Nemuri mumbled right beside him. "He won't be happy."
Shouta's brow furrowed for a second when everything came flooding back to him.
Kaminari!
He rolled over onto his back and bolted upright. He winced when the room spun around him. Nemuri instantly planted two firm hands on his shoulders to push him back down on the bed.
"Shouta, please calm down."
"I have to find Kaminari," he declared.
"We are—"
"I need to be there—"
"Like hell you do, Aizawa!" Chiyo snapped. "I warned you that I don't know what sedative you were given, but it was powerful. You're not in any position to go anywhere. It's going to be a couple days before you'll have your strength back. Are you already forgetting that you tried to get up after Kaminari called you and you collapsed? You would've hit the floor if Shinsou hadn't caught you, and you tried to get up again!"
Shouta blinked and stared at Chiyo before shifting his gaze back to Nemuri.
"I thought we were over the days I had to use my quirk on you to get you to rest."
His hands clenched the blanket.
"How long was I out?" he asked.
"Only an hour," Nemuri said, sitting down beside him on the bed. "Maijima had just traced Kaminari's phone to Nagoya when it disappeared. Our best guess was someone either turned off or destroyed it. We've updated Detective Tsukauchi on the situation. He and Chief Tsuragamae are working with the Nagoya police to shut down the train stations and set up check points and barricades along the streets and highways. They're calling every available hero in the city and getting them up to speed. No one will be able to leave the city, until we track down Kaminari."
Chiyo spoke up next.
"There was one train left scheduled to leave for Nagoya that we all decided should run as scheduled. Kan and Yamada are on it and are going to help. We thought it best if Kaminari saw some familiar heroes if he and his dad are caught."
Shouta's eyes wandered to the empty chairs.
"Where's Shinsou?"
Nemuri shared a look with Chiyo before taking a deep breath.
"He's with Hizashi and Kan."
He sat right back up and braced his hands behind him to keep him there.
"What the hell? How could any of you let him—" he started, only for Nemuri to cut him off.
"He volunteered, Shouta! None of us know what's going on with Kaminari. He didn't feel like he could call another hero when you were captured. He didn't feel like he could tell his classmates what happened. He didn't feel like he could stay on campus when they left you here, but something had to change for him to finally call for help. Hizashi and Kan might be able to get through to him, but Shinsou thought a friend might have a better chance. That aside, his quirk would be incredibly useful if Kaminari changed his mind again, and Nezu completely agreed on the grounds that either Hizashi or Kan stay with him at all times."
Shouta's arms started shaking, but he kept himself upright. The rage coursing through his veins gave him the strength.
"That doesn't matter. He never should've been allowed to leave campus right now, accompanied by pro heroes or not."
Nemuri leaned down so she was eye-level with him.
"Do you think Hizashi would let anything happen to Shinsou?" Shouta snapped his mouth shut, but he refused to break her gaze. "Do you think he would let anything happen to any of your students? Would Kan?"
Do you have no faith in your friends and colleagues?
She didn't need to ask it, and yet it punched Shouta right in the gut.
"Of course not, but—"
"The Nagoya police will probably find Kaminari before they even get there. Having Shinsou there will encourage him to cooperate. At the very least, he could stop him from trying to run away."
Before Shouta could say anything else, Chiyo's phone rang. She picked it up instantly and immediately started grumbling under her breath.
"A couple of your students got themselves hurt. We can't have them coming here and asking questions. You better not move a muscle until I get back!"
Chiyo jumped off her chair and left the infirmary. The second she was out of sight, Shouta swung his legs over the side of the bed. He steadied himself. When the room didn't spin around him, he eased himself to his feet.
"Aizawa Shouta, you can't be serious!"
He heard fabric ripping, so he whipped around and activated his quirk. He had to grab ahold of the bed, but he stayed on his feet. The pink mist dissipated the second his eyes landed on Nemuri.
"You said there was one train left scheduled to go to Nagoya. It hasn't left yet, has it?"
Nemuri clenched her jaw when he grabbed the capture scarf from the bedframe.
"You're not going. I can see your legs shaking from here."
"Then come with me," he said, inching his way to the door while keeping his eyes on his friend.
"Shouta—"
"Kaminari called me."
He blinked and activated his quirk again. With every step he took closer to the door, Nemuri followed.
"You shouldn't be straining yourself like this—"
"Nemuri, please."
She stopped, not taking her eyes away from his own. The burning eventually forced Shouta to blink. He opened his eyes right back up to find that Nemuri hadn't activated her quirk. Instead, she was pinching the bridge of her nose and her eyebrows were scrunched together.
Please, Nemuri….
*break*
"I'm sorry to bother you—"
Sekijirou putting a hand up brought his words to an instant halt. He nodded toward his phone, at the same time picking up their pace as they walked across campus.
"Let me see the message again," he ordered. He didn't hesitate to unlock his phone and hand it over to the teacher. Not breaking his stride, Sekijirou read the message again and shook his head. "That's not like Eraser. He wouldn't forget something as important as his access cards."
The gates were in sight. He squinted when he saw something black just within the light of one of the many lamps lining the sidewalks. The closer they got, the clearer he could see it. He suddenly stopped, causing Sekijirou to bump into him.
"Sensei…." He muttered.
Shouta was curled up on his side, unmoving. His capture weapon was thrown carelessly to the ground next to him. He sprinted toward the gates.
"Shinsou!" Sekijirou called after him, but he didn't pay the other teacher any mind. He skidded to a stop on his knees next to the unconscious hero. He turned Shouta over, and his stomach dropped when he saw Shouta's eyes were closed. Sekijirou joined him a second later and put his fingers against Shouta's neck. "His pulse is slow but steady." He removed the tape from Shouta's mouth and gently patted the side of his face. "Eraser? Eraser, can you hear me?"
Shouta's eyes didn't open. Sekijirou swiftly untied his legs before turning him back on his side and swearing at the sight of the cuffs and blood dribbling down Shouta's wrists.
"Do you want me to call Recovery Girl?" he asked.
Sekijirou nodded.
"I don't know why he's unconscious, but she'll take care of him." He slid his arms under Shouta's back and legs. "Follow me to the infirmary."
Hitoshi leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, mentally shaking away his thoughts. His leg had been bouncing since the second he sat down, and there was no sign it would stop anytime soon. A hand patted him on his back.
"Relax while you can, listener. We'll be there sooner than you think."
He looked to Hizashi and blinked. It still startled him to see the voice hero with his hair down. The scarf wrapped around his neck hid most of his directional speaker. Since Hizashi was wearing his civilian glasses, Hitoshi never would've guessed he was sitting next to Present Mic if he hadn't known better.
But I suppose that's the point. No one would recognize Present Mic like this. If we want to catch up to Kaminari, this is our best shot.
Sekijirou sat across from them in the nearly empty train car with his eyes glued to his phone. His fingers rapidly tapped at the screen. He glanced up at them before his eyes going right back down to his phone.
"There's no sign of him yet. The checkpoints are causing a bit of a traffic jam on the highways. Heroes are patrolling the streets. I hope Akashi doesn't figure out what's going on."
"Me neither," Hizashi breathed, running a hand through his hair. "If he's a contractor like we think, he probably won't want to draw attention to himself or hurt any other civilians, but I would've never guessed he'd do that to Sho…." Hitoshi tensed and could sense Hizashi's eyes lingering on him. "I mean we just have to prepare for anything."
Sekijirou opened his mouth only to completely drop his jaw as he stared out the window across from him. Both Hizashi and Hitoshi looked over their shoulders, and Hitoshi's eyes widened at the sight of Shouta sprinting toward their car. Nemuri was right on his heels. Shouta stumbled onto the train, having to grab onto one of the poles for support. Nemuri was at his side in an instant and allowed him to lean against her. Hitoshi stood up at the same time as Hizashi, but he froze when he got a look of the voice hero's face. Cold green eyes glared at Shouta and Nemuri.
What the hell is Aizawa-sensei doing here? He should be back in the infirmary!
Hitoshi nearly fell over when the train started moving, but Sekijirou and Hizashi braced him before the latter stormed over to the two newcomers. He took most of Shouta's weight from Nemuri and half-dragged Shouta to join them. He gripped his friend's shoulders and sat him down in the seat. Hitoshi didn't hesitate to sit back down next to his mentor, his hands hovering over Shouta.
"Sensei, are you…."
He trailed off when he got a better look at Shouta. His forehead was drenched in sweat, and his entire body was shaking.
Recovery Girl said it would probably take a couple days for him to completely get over that sedative. How the hell did he even have the energy to get here?
"What the hell, Eraser?"
Hitoshi stiffened at the razor-sharp tone coming from the normally jovial voice hero.
"Mic, listen—"
"No. You should be back on campus recovering. And you—" He whirled around to face Nemuri. "—should be ashamed of yourself. We trusted you to watch out for him. He's in no position to put up a fight, so why did you bring him here?"
"I need to be there—"
Hizashi whipped right back around to Shouta.
"You need to be in the infirmary. What the hell were you two thinking? You aren't in any condition to help Kaminari. Now we'll have to waste resources covering your ass. What kind of example do you think you're setting for Shinsou?"
Shouta had just opened his mouth when Nemuri cut in.
"I'm dragging him straight to the police station," she said, causing Hizashi's eyebrows to raise. "He did have a point. Kaminari called him. We don't know what he's going through right now, but he obviously trusted Eraser enough to call him for help. I thought it was in our best interest to have both him and Shinsou there. Kaminari will probably be more comfortable and cooperative if we find him."
"When," Shouta corrected.
Hizashi looked between his two friends. Mumbling under his breath, he took off his jacket and practically threw it at Shouta. Before Shouta could protest or attempt to give it back, Hizashi plopped down next to Sekijirou.
"You're shivering. You need it more than I do." Hitoshi's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull when Shouta clamped his mouth shut and silently put an arm through a jacket sleeve, but he understood when he saw the scowl still present on Hizashi's face. He nearly cringed when Hizashi met his gaze. "Your instructions haven't changed, Shinsou. You're still with Vlad and I once we get to Nagoya. An officer will be there to brief us and tell us where to go."
He let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding at the significantly softer tone and nodded. Turning to Shouta, he was greeted with the sight of the man struggling to get his other arm through the jacket sleeve.
It really took everything he had to get to the train station. What the hell did Kaminari's dad give him?
He didn't say a word while he helped Shouta maneuver his arm through the sleeve. Shouta slumped back against his seat a second later. His chest heaved, but he turned to look at Hitoshi. It looked like it was taking every bit of Shouta's energy to keep his eyes open.
"I'm sorry, Shinsou. I shouldn't have—"
"We can talk later," he interrupted. "Get some rest. You probably won't get to for a while once we find Kaminari."
Unable to fight it off any longer, Shouta's eyes fluttered shut. Nemuri settled down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders so he was leaning against her. It only took a minute for his breathing to even out.
Mic-sensei might be right. You're being a reckless example…but that might be what Kaminari needs right now….
*break*
He peeked around the wall. Three police officers stood with his dad at the front door. Their voices were low. His dad started shaking and would've fallen to his knees if one of the officers hadn't caught and steadied him. He came out from his hiding spot.
"Daddy?" Wide eyes stared at him. "Where's mom?"
His dad whispered something to the officers before meeting him in the middle of their entryway. He crouched down. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
"Oh, Denki…."
"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?"
Denki's shoulders tensed. He clenched his jaw and finally tore his gaze away from the window. Akashi leaned back in his seat, his arms crossed and eyes closed. The disappointment had been radiating from his dad since the second he was shoved in the car. The traffic in the city at the late hour didn't quell Akashi's anger in the slightest. He pressed himself harder against the door, as if that would put more space between him and his dad.
"No."
"I can't be angry at anyone but myself, I suppose. I thought I raised you better." Akashi looked out the window. "Although, I may have just underestimated Eraserhead. His record absolutely precedes him as a hero, but from the information you told me on the first day of classes, I never thought he would have that much of an influence on you as your teacher."
The car inched forward. Kougami rolled down the window and leaned out.
"It looks like the police have some sort of checkpoint up ahead," he updated. "They're stopping every car."
Akashi sighed.
"Don't do anything rash. There's a slight chance it's a coincidence. It wouldn't surprise me if they've been there all night with how long traffic has been backed up."
The car inched forward again.
"Did Kaito ever call?"
As if on cue, Akashi's phone rang. His eyebrows rose when he saw the screen.
"Suzuki, what's going—Eraser's here?" Denki perked up. His dad was silent while he listened, but his eyes grew colder with each passing second. He shifted his gaze to Denki, not speaking until his son looked him in the eye. "Go after him and try to take him alive. Meet us in Osaka when you can."
"No!" Denki screamed as he lunged for the phone, but Akashi had already hung up.
He shoved his son off him and back against the car door. Denki's head collided with the window. Denki blinked and held the back of his head as if that would stop the dizziness.
"You made your choice, Denki. I probably should've brought Eraser with us, but I guess it's not too late. He'll ensure your cooperation until you come back to your senses. Besides, it couldn't hurt to have Eraser. I know he's been giving some of our clients hell, so they'll be happy he's out of the picture. I'm sure after a lot of persuasion, we could gain his cooperation eventually."
Denki's stomach lurched. He could nearly sense his face turning green.
"You…you can't be serious—"
"Don't say another word. Suzuki said a couple more teachers from Yuuei are here, too. I won't hesitate to have them killed on sight if you put one toe out of line."
Denki wrapped his arms around his stomach and leaned against the door. The coolness of the window chilled his now-sweaty forehead.
What have I done? What the hell have I done? Why did I call Aizawa-sensei?
The car moved again. An officer stopped the car in front of them. Denki's heart pounded in his chest. The officer backed away, motioned the car ahead of them to leave, and waved them forward. Denki clenched the fabric of his pants.
"Don't say a damn word," Akashi warned again.
Kougami grinned at the officer.
"Looks like a busy night for you all."
"Sorry about this," the officer apologized, shining the flashlight into the car. "We had a bomb threat across town. The villain fled the scene, and we need to hunt him down. Do you mind rolling down the back windows?"
Kougami glanced the rearview mirror. Akashi nodded. The light lingered on Denki. The officer's eyes slightly widened. He reached for the radio on his shoulder.
"Go!" Akashi ordered.
Kougami slammed the gas pedal. Another officer rand in front of the car and tried to wave them down. Kougami didn't bother to swerve out of the way. To Denki's horror, the officer rolled over the hood and up to the top of the car. The thud overhead made his hands fly to his mouth. He couldn't get himself to look out the back window.
More officers were spread out along the street, directing the still slow-moving traffic. They dove out of the way as Kougami weaved in an out of the cars. He pulled up onto the sidewalk, narrowly avoiding the lampposts. He didn't get back onto the road until he found an open stretch of road. Denki's hair whipped with the air rushing around him. It was so loud he could barely hear the voice over the roaring wind.
"Kaminari!"
No way….
Akashi's eyebrows furrowed. He leaned across Denki to look out his window. Denki's heart now thundered in his chest. He turned his head to see a black blur swinging from lamppost to lamppost. He gripped the edge of the window when he saw the purple at the top of that blur.
Shinsou?
Well, there's the third chapter. My apologies for the delay. Until next time!