...
Tensei stood watching the boy as they waited for Nezu. It was obvious that the feral child didn't trust humans. Hissing and scratching were prevalent. He had no doubt that they would do damage to anyone who got close.
Tsukauchi was not watching the child instead he had his back to him. Everything about the detective spoke of being at ease. It took him several moments to realize why. He was trying to set the boy at ease by giving the impression of only one person watching him. A good idea even if it wasn't working.
Suddenly footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. Turning his head to the side slightly he saw it was Eraserhead and Nezu. Both were showing signs of deep-seated exhaustion. The long day was starting to get to them. With the child being cornered here wasn't helping anything.
Tsukauchi switched places with Eraserhead and Nezu with Tensei. They had to move down the hall a short way to make it feel less like they were crowding the cheetah.
Unlike Tsukauchi, Eraserhead did not turn his back. Instead, he watched carefully as Nezu approached the agitated boy. Hisses and growls grew louder and deeper. Nezu for his part was speaking softly to him.
The rat was close enough so that they couldn't hear him but far enough that claws couldn't strike at him. Tensei watched the general body language of the child. It was uncertain and fearful. He didn't seem to want to hurt Nezu.
Tensei watched as slowly but surely Nezu shifted forward. The first time he tried he had to jump back as teeth cracked where he had just been. Soft tones did not change as he continued to speak to the boy. A paw was raised up towards the child in a calm manner. His calm seemed to be working however as his ears came slightly away from their folded position. Nose came up slightly and twitched showing that he was scenting the paw. When Nezu tried to step forward again the child allowed it.
For the first time since he was in the room, empty Tensei let out a relieved breath. Nezu continued to move slowly move forward. Lips raised to show the fangs but he didn't lash out. Then a paw was just inches from the muzzle and Nezu seemed to wait for something.
Tensei and everyone else who had gathered including a few doctors and nurses around the corners waited with bated breath. They would all forever deny the surprise they felt when the child pressed his muzzle into Nezu's paw. Then collapsed into a heap the energy sustaining his adventure draining from him. Nezu took that moment to move around to the child's side and continue to run a calming paw through the fur.
Then he called out, "It's okay now. He's slipped back into unconsciousness. I could see the way he shook as I approached. It was a miracle he didn't collapse sooner."
The doctors moved forward still cautious despite there being three heroes there. Stupid people and their discrimination against those with mutation quirks. If Tensei had his way they would all be looking for new jobs.
With little preamble, they returned the boy to his rooms. It took all three heroes threatening lawsuits to prevent the nurses from trying to forcefully sedate him. What little trust would be gone if they allowed such a thing?
Tensei watched as Nezu never left the child's side. Something about the rat's posture was unapproachable. Eraserhead gave him a knowing look before he shook his head. It was a clear order not to mess with the rat. Part of him wanted to do so anyways but rationalized that if anyone knew Nezu it was his friend. So he took a position on the other side of the bed. Where they waited for the child to wake up.
...
Izuku came back around slowly. His green eyes blinked opening taking in that he was back in the room. He could smell the scent of the rat. It was close to him on the other side of the bed. A gentle paw was running through his fur.
Gingerly he lifted his head and turned it to see exactly what he expected. The white-furred rat was running its paw gently through his fur. Onyx eyes clashed against green. What had it said its name was again? Nezu he was pretty sure.
Nezu huffed, "You're fine young one. I have looked after you as promised."
Izuku returned the huff and laid his head back down on the pillow. Where he saw that sitting on the other side of his bed was the blue-haired man. The one where he had seen mostly blue. He still saw the blue from before.
Nezu had calmed him. Promises of a good home and kind hands. Normally he wouldn't have believed him. At first, he didn't he kept trying to bite and scratch the rat. His senses thought told him that the rat was telling him the truth. Nezu didn't want to hurt him and simply wanted to help him.
Pressing his muzzle into Nezu's paw had been his way of accepting the rat's help. He did not trust the humans around them. All humans had ever done was hurt him. Nezu was not a human, however. He was an animal and for now, Izuku would give a small amount of trust to him. Until he could prove if it was deserved or not.