Shortly after leaving All Might behind, Deku kept going. Not once stopping to eat or rest. The warning from AFO was still fresh in his mind and his fear of All Might dying kept him going. If he can stop this monster then everyone will be safe, hero society can be restored and his friends and mentor can live peaceful lives.
He knew he hurt his mentor when he left him behind in the rain, but the thought of All Might always after him, just a few feet shy from danger was too risky. Villains already know that they're always together and usually underestimate All Might, but the older man uses it to his advantage when he needed to. He knew his teacher hated being underestimated, but understood why he was, and with the hero society in shambles all the more reason to take as many villains down as possible.
But he was getting tired. He could feel it in his bones that he was slowing down. But he needed to keep going, get as much information as possible to take AFO down. Lady Nagant tried to help, but she was given wrong information while almost killed everyone in the safe house. Deku needed to take him down so that no one would get hurt again.
That's what he told himself.
Time and again.
He will once he gets some shut eye.
Finding an abandoned warehouse, Deku looked around carefully. Making sure the building and the surrounding areas were free from traps and villains. Even from heroes. Finding suitably safe and villain-free Deku hunker down in a corner and closed his eyes. Letting OFA be used as a safety beacon. If anyone comes in then 'Danger Sense' could warn him in time to get out.
He surely missed All Might's food.
A few hours passed and Deku felt slightly better. Not as much as he would when he and All Might were together, but he would take what he can get.
He used 'Danger Sense' to make sure no one came in while he was asleep. He let his quirk loose while asleep but lately his predecessors have been a little hesitant lately, and while he may have an idea why he wished they just let him use it for mild inconveniences. When he didn't feel his quirk activate, he tried again. Maybe he was still tired.
Nothing happened.
He tried again. Maybe there wasn't anyone around that his quirk wasn't activating.
Maybe.
Nothing again.
Deku gasped, has AFO come and gotten his quirk? He got up and got ready to run when he felt cloth wrapping around his body. Deku looked down, trying to struggle himself away from whoever caught him. He tried to use his other quirks to get out, but none were activating. He began to freak out and struggle against his bindings.
"Enough, already" a voice was heard from the darkness, "you're going to give me some serious dry eye."
"Eraserhead" Deku gasped. Out of all people he expected, his old teacher was not one of them, but then again it should have been his first clue when he couldn't activate his quirk.
"It's Mr. Aizawa to you, Mydoria" the older man stepped toward his student. And Deku saw his teacher for the first time after the battle with the villains.
Aizawa looked exhausted, even more than what he used to see from him. He heard rumors but looking at him now he could see that they were true. His teacher had indeed lost his left eye along with his left leg. He now wore an eye patch and a prosthetic leg. He wondered how he didn't hear the clank clank from the metal hitting the concrete. Oh, that's right. Underground hero, so silence is his specialty. Even with a prosthetic, he would be quiet.
"I left UA" Deku responded, his body relaxing knowing his teacher was here with him. He felt oddly safe, but then again Aizawa always made him feel safe. Even at when his teacher was at his strictest, Deku was always safe.
"I don't remember expelling you" Aizawa didn't let his capture weapon loose. He looked at his student and knew why Toshinori asked him for help. He was pissed at first, but hearing the man plea for help he understood why. Midorya adored All Might, always looked for his approval, and finding that he left his idol behind was concerning, almost downright disturbing. He saw the clothes the boy wore. Torn and tattered, and some barely clinging on to his person, his hood looked more like stuff of nightmares than the bunny hears he heard his students compare them too. He saw the remains of Grand Torino's cape. He won't divulge that information to Midorya as he saw the boys eyes. What once were wide and bright, were now tired and hollow. Dead looking he would dare say. The kid reminded him of the underground heroes that went too deep to come back from their missions.
If he continues on this path, then he'll be his worst enemy, Aizawa thought, briefly remembering Shirakumo turning to Kurogiri. It wasn't by his friends will, but the will of others who found other use for him.
If by what Toshinori said was true, then this boy is being used by the predecessors of OFA to end AFO's reign. And this boy knows it.
"Did All Might send you?" Deku asked, not liking how his teacher was looking at him. Nodding he asked, "If I let you lose, promise you won't run away?" His voice was soft, he needed the kid to be calm if he wanted to talk to him, and he wanted to sit down too. Using his eye and standing for too long tired him. Deku, thank Kami, nodded too. He knew if he tried to run Aizawa can always activate Erasure to stop him. Aizawa sat down on some boxes nearby to ease the pressure off his leg, and get some droplets from his pouch.
"How did you find me?" Deku looked at the floor, not daring to look at his teacher. "It wasn't that hard, you're were moving similar to an underground hero so I just looked around" putting the droplets away, he reached behind him and took out a bento box. Similar to the one All Might tried giving him.
"I guess I was" he didn't try to get the box, too guilty to eat. Aizawa motioned a little more harshly and Deku grabbed the box. He didn't want Aizawa more angry that he already is. "How is everyone?" He looked up his teacher this time. "Good. Safe. They - eat, kid - worry about you. Especially Baukugo."
"Kacchan?" Deku's eyes widen as he opened the bento. Surprised his childhood friend was worried about him. True their relationship was starting to recover from the long years of bullying, but Kacchan was not the type to show his emotions so easily in front of others. Only he and All Might has seen him cry once.
Aizawa nodded, "even your mother" he added. Seeing Midory gasp at the mention of his mother, he felt a pang of guilt. His mother is safe at UA, but he still missed her terribly. This kid is a teenager for fucks sake. His place was in school, worrying about his upcoming test, laughing with his friends, and spending time with his mother. Not in an abandoned warehouse by himself with only his thoughts and the predecessors of OFA as his companions. He felt angry at the hero society for letting a kid do their work, and wanted nothing more than the monster who started it all to just be put away forever.
"How are you doing, sensei? I know Shigaraki was after you the most." Aizawa looked at himself.
"Besides the obvious? Best as can be. I may retire from my hero work - I said hero work kid, not the teaching!" He grumbled when Midorya looked at him in shock. He didn't need his student to feel sorry about him. He knew the decision he was making was a hard one and Eri's warning helped make the decision easier and faster. Rational. He looked at his student again.
"With the wounds I sustained, and my eye gone, it would be best for me to retire. I'm already training Shinso with the capture weapon, so he might take my place. I'll be still teaching at UA. Somebody's needs to keep an eye on you kids" he joked. Midorya smiled at that. It would be nice to be with everyone. Maybe after AFO is put away. Good, Aizawl thought, at least he hasn't lost his smile.
"Midorya when was the last time you rested? Properly." Deku shook his head, the last time was before he left All Might. Before Lady Nagant. Aizawa sighed, that long huh?
"Come back to UA, Midorya. Eat, rest, sleep. Spend some time with your friends, talk to your mother" he leaned his elbows on his knees.
"I can't" he whispered, setting is chopsticks down.
"You can."
"I can't" he said a little more forcefully. He heard his teacher sighed again.
"Mydoria -"
"I CAN'T KNOWING HE IS OUT THERE!" Deku cried out, "He killed so many people and almost killed Lady Nagant! Right before the safe house exploded, he told me that I was next." The boy shook as he tried to hold his tears back.
"Next what?" He asked so softly, he never heard Midorya yell at him so this was a bit of a shock. More than him leaving All Might behind.
"The next villain" Deku hung his head. The news was hard to swallow, but it was one of the reasons why he didn't want any heroes tailing after him. If he was to become a villain he would rather be alone then have heroes try to defend him. It would ruin their reputation and defeat the purpose of the hero society.
"Oh, kid" Aizawa rubbed his face with his hand. It was far worse than he thought, but at the same time it was better what could have been happening. Honestly, he could handle Bakugo or Mineta better than Midorya. Midorya was selfless in his pursuits and while it was a good quality to have, it was also hard to discipline when needed to. It was an easily quality to destroy when reprimanded too harshly by someone you trust.
"You won't become the next villain" he bumped the kid's chest gently with is fist, just like the time before the Chisaki battle, "not if I can help it" he smiled gently at him.
"C'me here" he pulled the boy close to his chest. Deku, how uncharacteristically of him, Aizawa thought, resisted him. He didn't deserve comfort! Luckily for Aizawa he held on to the boy, making sure his face was above his shoulder he gripped his head close to him, while he rubbed Midorya's back, silently noting all the bumps and cuts he had endured so far.
Deku tried hard to get out of his teachers grip. But the feel of his teacher's warmth was too nice, and he gripped his teachers shirt. Feeling his student shake, Aizawa gently encouraged him to cry. So Midorya did. He sobbed and sobbed and Aizawa let him. All the frustration, the fear, the exhaustion just came barreling out.
Whether hours or minutes passed by it didn't matter. Both student and teacher held each other, letting the time of peace swallow them for a short time they can have.
"Midorya, come back to UA" he said gently, after some time he let the kid go. Deku shook his head, "I can't, Mr. Aizawa. If I do then OFA will come for me there."
"You know UA has protection right?"
"Even so, OFA has connections not everyone knows about, even the assassins he sends after me." He gave the bento back to his teacher.
"Then for tonight, just rest" he said. Kid still has it in mind to keep going, but if he could just get him to stop and rest for one night, then it may be enough for him to reconsider.
"But- "
"Just tonight, Deku. Even underground heroes have to stop and rest" he urged, "I'll stay and watch over you while you rest" he suggested. At least he can tell Toshinori that he ate and slept. It won't do much to sooth the man, but it will have to do while they find other ways to stop the OFA and the villains.
Deku thought about it. It would be a good idea, letting himself get some rest and soothe any wounds he have gotten lately. But if he did. Then AFO could get the advantage and send another assassin after him. But Aizawa will be here to stop them. Even with his wounds, his teacher is still a force to be reckoned with. Exhaustion must be getting at him harder than he thought, since he was agreeing before he could think any more. That, or it could be the predecessors are just making it harder for him to keep going.
Either way Aizawa made sure the boy lied down to sleep, while he sat nearby. Near enough to soothe his students worry, but far enough to give him some privacy.
Morning came and Deku quietly got his belongings. His teacher must have been tired as well, since he also was asleep on the concrete floor.
He walked around quietly, making sure not to step on anything and far away from anything that would make any noise. Thankfully the warehouse had an open hole big enough for him to go through without making any noise.
"Sorry, sensei" he whispered as he jumped off. 'Danger Sense' didn't sense anyone nearby, so he could let his teacher alone safely.
It was time to keep going.
Aizawa woke as soon as he heard Midorya move. As silent as the kid was, Aizawa was just that well trained and his senses were sharper than his students. He stayed still, and breathed slowly, and when he heard his footsteps move further away he peeked just in time to see the kid get out from the warehouse.
Sighing, he took his phone out .
"He left. No, he didn't see it but he will soon. He won't find the second one though. No, don't send them, let one of my contacts follow him for the time being. Wait, send Bakugo as well, if anyone can put some sense into Midorya it will be him. We'll talk more when I get back."
He tried his best, but why did he feel like a failure?
He sighed as he got up, he was getting too old for this. Midorya and Bakugo were giving him gray hairs faster than Mic ever could. He felt the phantom pain in his leg, he gripped his thigh as he winced. Dammit all, he may have recovered enough but he for sure will be useless later on.
"I guess it is time to retire."
Deku finds the tracker on Grand Torino's cape and crushes it with his foot. He wasn't surprised, he's going solo and his teacher was worried but it would be best to go alone.
"Sorry, everyone."
