Hi, guys! If you're already familiar with me, you might know I just posted a MHA story I wrote back in 2018 recently, and I decided to post another one today! So just know that yes, I waited 4 years to post this on this site for some reason, but now y'all can read it! I think this will be about 15 chapters and I'll try to update every Saturday and Wednesday. Key word: TRY. College is keeping me busy.

Anyway, enjoy!


Chapter One: Witness

Izuku would have been lying if he said that he expected to be at the downtown local jail on one of the stormiest Tuesdays he'd ever seen. It was far from a pleasant day outside, rain slashing the windows and lightning claiming the world as its own. With every strike of thunder that hit, the building rumbled as well. For Izuku, this only seemed to reflect what was tearing up his own mind at that moment. As he stared up at Detective Tsukauchi who sat across from him at his desk, his mouth went dry and he suddenly felt queasy.

"I'm not saying it's going to take long, but it will be a few days before the judge has time for this case," Tsukauchi explained, leaning forward to move closer to Izuku. "Until then, you need to be careful. You're a witness and there is a possibility that you might be targeted."

"Targeted?" Izuku swallowed, glancing at All Might who looked just as concerned from where he stood in the corner. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when it comes to these things, you can never be too careful. Do you remember what Nakatomi said when we put him in here?"

Izuku felt himself deflate as he sank down into his chair. How could he forget? After they'd first locked away the villain, he'd been less than thrilled to get locked up in a tiny cell until his case was brought to court. A shiver ran down Izuku's spine as he remembered the words the man had last hissed at him.

"It's not over yet, you little brat. And if you don't let me out soon, you're going to pay the price."

"Midoriya?"

Izuku snapped to attention, his gaze focusing back on Tsukauchi. "What? Huh?"

"We need you to be alert for the time being," the detective said in a stern tone. "Right now, we're pretty confident that Nakatomi is only playing games with us, but we don't want to overlook what he said, either. You need to be careful. Got it?"

"Yeah." Izuku nodded slowly. "I think so."

"And you're sure he's safe?" All Might asked, finally coming forward with a troubled expression. Lines creased his forehead, and he seemed to look ten years older than he was. "I don't want him getting hurt because we didn't take Nakatomi seriously."

Tsukauchi hesitated, cupping his hands below his chin before he spoke. "As long as we're careful, he should be fine."

All Might opened his mouth to protest, but Izuku cut him off and pushed himself up from his seat. "It's okay!" he assured him. "There's nothing to worry about, I'm always careful!"

Both of the men stared at him dubiously.

"Okay, mostly careful." He shook his head. "Either way, Nakatomi won't win! I saved those kids that he was holding hostage and now he'll be locked up for what he's done. Even if he does have friends, they can't convince me to let him go. After what he did… I'm not letting him get away with it."

He grimaced as memories from the previous days before swirled through his mind.

Just a few days ago, he'd been downtown, picking up groceries for his mother at a rather abandoned store, when Nakatomi had burst inside with a gun. He'd yelled at everyone to freeze or he'd shoot. The few civilians that had been inside were terrified as he took two children hostage, tearing them away from their horrified mother, and demanded that all the money in the cash registers be given to him. It was either that, or he'd kill them. Izuku hadn't been completely sure of what his quirk was, but it seemed to be some sort of magnet. Whatever he wanted would be dragged over to him and stick to his body, and it didn't look easy to pull off.

But no matter what his quirk was, it was still dangerous to interfere with him. Izuku hadn't planned on jumping in any time soon.

And then one of the children had started crying.

Izuku sickened at the thought of what would've happened if he hadn't decided to act at that moment. One of the children, a girl no more than five, continued to sob hysterically throughout the whole ordeal and refused to stop even after Nakatomi told her to. Soon, it became clear that he was growing angry. And after her wailing had grown louder, he was ready to act.

Izuku could no longer stand by and watch, despite knowing that 'playing hero' would probably only endanger the children further. But right now, a life was in danger, and if he didn't jump in then she would get hurt- maybe even killed. Powering up One For All, he'd managed to flash over to the children and pulled them away before Nakatomi had the chance to react. The villain was stunned by the sudden rescue. A moment later, pro heroes burst through the doors and wasted no time in arresting him.

Then they moved onto Izuku.

With his Provisional License giving him the right to use his quirk in public in some situations- ones such as these- he was let off relatively easy, with only a minor scolding from the police and heroes. Still, the children's parents had repeatedly thanked him for the rescue and Izuku had replied that he'd only done what anyone else would have.

Nakatomi was soon taken away to the local jail, but it was evident that he wasn't happy with the way things had turned out. He'd made that clear to Izuku at his visit a day later.

"His friends might not be able to convince you, but they might try," Tsukauchi said, bringing Izuku back to the present. "And if that does happen, you need some sort of protection."

"Protection?" Izuku blinked. "But-"

"No arguments, Midoriya," All Might chided, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Listen to what he has to say."

"Thank you." Tsukauchi sighed. "I don't like this any more than you do. Still, until the trial, you shouldn't be going anywhere alone. We've notified the local police to keep their eye out but they can't keep a twenty-four/seven watch on you until there's real evidence that something might happen. However, you still need to follow the safety protocol rules. Even if you're only coming from your apartment to U.A., there needs to be someone with you. Use the buddy system and you'll be safer. Do you understand? This is important."

Izuku nodded, lowering his eyes. "I understand. I'll be careful."

"Good. We need you to be safe until the trial next Saturday. Any risk to you would be a risk to Nakatomi getting released." Tsukauchi gave a faint smile. "And Midoriya?"

Izuku looked up. "Sir?"

"You did good out there with those kids. Don't lose that fighting spirit." The detective laughed slightly, leaning back into his chair which protested at the movement. "It's best you stay with your mother until the trial passes so that you're closer to here, just in case it gets moved up a day or two. Then you're free to go to your dorms and get back into your studies."

"Thank you, Tsukauchi." All Might gave a nod in acknowledgment. "I'll make sure he follows the rules."

"You do that." The detective sighed and drummed his fingers on his desk. "Well, it's been nice chatting but I really should be getting back to my paperwork. There seems to be an endless supply of it lately and it's giving me quite the headache."

"We'll see ourselves out, then," All Might said, before guiding Izuku over to the door. He gave one last nod. "I'll see you at the trial, Tsukauchi."

"Yes… and you two stay safe out there."

"You as well."

Slipping outside, All Might closed the door behind them.


"When he said I have to have someone with me everywhere, did he mean everywhere? Because sometimes Mom asks me to go do some errands for her and I don't want to ask anyone to go out of their way to come with me for something as small as tha-"

"Yes, Midoriya. Someone has to be with you everywhere." All Might pulled them both to a stop, before he turned to look out into the rain pouring down beyond the overhead hanging above them. He took a moment to think and then spoke. "We don't know if someone will come after you or not, but if they do, you shouldn't be alone. There is the trial to worry about."

Izuku felt his heart sink. "Oh. Right."

"I'll walk you home to your mother and explain everything to her," All Might said and started walking again. Yet, he wavered as he approached the end of the overhead and squinted into the grey depths of the rain. He offered a piece of a smile. "Well, if we make it through this storm! With this wind, we might be blown away."

Izuku felt himself smile but he really didn't feel happy. His mind was focused on the thought of being targeted. It seemed unlikely; Nakatomi was probably trying to scare him. Yet, Tsukauchi's words still haunted his ears.

...You're a witness and there is a possibility that you might be targeted...

...They might not be able to convince you, but they might try...

...Right now, we're pretty confident that Nakatomi is just playing games with us, but we don't want to overlook what he said either...

He swallowed thickly. For now, he'd do his best to ignore his overwhelming feeling of fear and try to stay calm until the trial arrived.

It was only four days away. He could last that long. Right?


The night passed without much commotion, other than Inko worriedly waking up each hour to check on Izuku and breaking his slumber in the process. All Might had briefed her on the details, explaining that it was possible that someone might be coming after him but assuring her that it was unlikely. Inko had quickly agreed to the buddy system and continued to remind Izuku not to go outside alone, even if it was just to take out the trash.

Since it was Saturday, Izuku had planned to enjoy the afternoon downtown, but going by himself was out of the question. His mother made him call Uraraka and Iida and the two agreed to meet him at the apartment later.

As Izuku waited for them to arrive in his room, he reflected on the situation at hand. He knew the risks of being alone, but it wasn't like he couldn't take care of himself. He'd battled real villains before- taking on some backstreet thug didn't seem like anything he couldn't handle.

At the same time, he didn't know what quirks Nakatomi's friends had. Were they dangerous? Could they attack him even from inside of his apartment?

"Izuku!" Inko suddenly called, knocking on his door. "Your friends are here!"

Snapping to alert, he jumped from his desk and stumbled over to the door. He couldn't bring this up to his friends yet- he'd only worry them. Right now, all they needed to know was that he'd stopped a villain and there would be a trial next Saturday. They didn't have to hear about anything else.

It wasn't long before Izuku, Iida, and Uraraka were exploring the streets downtown, laughing happily as they walked out of another department store. It was nice, Izuku thought, hanging out with his friends outside of school for a change. They often didn't do much besides study together. For a little while, he could even take his mind off Nakatomi and the trial.

It was only when they started to pass the local police station did Izuku start to feel uneasy. Tsukauchi's warning still rang in his ears and doubt had already set its roots in. Was he really sure that he was safe? That the police and heroes could protect him until the trial?

No, nothing was certain yet. Anything could happen this next week.

"Midoriya?" Iida asked, cutting his thoughts off. They were stopped on the sidewalk beside the station, and both Uraraka and Iida were staring at him with questioning eyes. Iida furrowed his brow. "Are you alright?"

Izuku blinked. "Me? Y-Yeah! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Are you sure? You've been quiet all morning."

Giving his best smile, he nodded reassuringly. "I'm just tired. My mom didn't let me get much sleep last night."

Uraraka looked confused. "Oh, why?"

Izuku opened his mouth to explain that his mother was only worried about Nakatomi's friends making a "visit", but quickly closed it. He didn't want to fret them any more than he had to. Iida and Uraraka were both already occupied enough with the hero work studies coming up. Did they really need him to be concerned about too?

"Uh, well, she was just happy that I'm home again. We haven't really spent much time together since I moved into the dorms so she's excited!" he lied.

"Oh, right! That makes sense!" Uraraka bobbed her head, her brown hair bouncing with it. "It's the same with my parents when they visit, too! Makes me realize how much I miss them."

The three started walking again, continuing down the chipped pavement as they searched for other shops to explore. It was crowded out today, although that was of little surprise to Izuku. It was a Saturday and all the rain from yesterday had cleared up. Who wouldn't be out?

"So where else do you guys want to go today?" Uraraka asked them.

Iida looked thoughtful before he gave a shrug. "I'm not too familiar with this part of town so I can't say. Midoriya, what would you suggest?"

Izuku almost stopped in his tracks. "M-me?"

"Why not?" Iida rubbed his chin. "I am getting hungry, and seeing as it's almost lunchtime we should probably stop to eat soon."

Uraraka nodded eagerly, her expression filling up with excitement. "I'm up for anything sweet!"

Izuku blinked a few times before he weakly smiled. "Well, if you guys want to. There are a few places on the way to my mom's, I guess. As long as we pick up some groceries for her on the way back, that sounds good."

"Great!" Uraraka cheered. "It's settled, then. We're going out to lunch together!"

Izuku did his best to join in with the excitement but ultimately failed when he couldn't even manage a smile. The thought of eating made him nauseous, and spending more time in public made it even more so. Earlier he had believed that he was prepared to go outside again, yet now he wasn't so sure. Looking around at all the bustling faces around, it almost felt seemed that they were all crowding in on him, everyone seeming suspicious in their actions. Every time someone stared at him, it felt like they were glaring. If someone made a motion towards him, he automatically tensed, fearing that they were the one that Nakatomi sent after him and was out to hurt him.

It was only when he looked back in front of him to where Iida and Uraraka were supposed to be did he realize that they were gone. He had fallen behind them. And at the pace he was walking, it was no wonder why.

His stomach churned with uncertainty as he tried to find his friends in the crowd. However, civilians had already gotten in front of him and were blocking his view. He tried to push his way past them but after a few dirty looks, he decided on waiting until the way had cleared.

He was already nervous enough when suddenly someone's foot caught on his own and he tripped over, falling down to the pavement and landing flat on his stomach. He groaned slightly at the impact, and it was another moment before he was able to turn over. His eyes scanned above for the culprit, and then they found him.

Standing above him was a tall man wearing a hooded jacket that hung over his eyes, shielding them from any sunlight. Izuku could see the man's yellow smile, which widened as he peered up at him.

"Sorry, kid," he hissed, offering Izuku a bony hand. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Izuku looked at the hand for a long moment but he didn't take it. Something inside of him told him not to. "It's okay," he said slowly. "I'm not hurt."

The man's arm slowly fell back to his side and he straightened. "What a relief. It would be so unpleasant if you were injured in this tragic... accident."

A chill ran down Izuku's spine. He didn't know who this man was or what he wanted, but somehow, he knew he didn't mean well. Just looking at his smile made him shiver, even in the heat of midday.

"Well, if it's all the same to you, I've got to leave now," he said before tenderly pushing himself up from the ground. "My friends will be looking for me."

"Oh, is that right?" The man's grin grew even wider, and Izuku was greatly disturbed that he still couldn't see his eyes. "A wonderful thing, friends. They're always there for you, even when you get yourself into trouble."

Izuku felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. His palms were wet with perspiration and his chest felt as if it was about to explode. He smiled tightly. "It-it was nice talking, but I've really got to go now. Thanks again for the help."

"It was no trouble at all," the other man said, but his voice held a dangerous tone. "I'm just sorry it happened in the first place."

Nodding, Izuku started to turn away, when suddenly the man grabbed onto his right arm and squeezed tightly. "You should be careful out there, you know," he growled. "You never know when someone might make another mistake."

Izuku swallowed thickly and peered up into the man's eyes. This time, he was able to catch a glimpse of what was underneath the hoodie. There was nothing friendly about his gaze, his eyes like cold, unwelcoming fire. Something was a bit maniacal about them as well, and it shook Izuku to his very core.

"I can take care of myself, thanks," he whispered before trying to pull his arm away- to no avail. He gulped. "Um, sir, could you let me go now?"

"Hmm?"

"Y-you're holding my arm."

"I'm holding... ah, my apologies," he laughed. "Sometimes I almost forget what I'm doing."

The man released his grip on Izuku's arm and Izuku quickly jerked away, cradling it almost defensively to his chest. "I have to go," he whispered. He ducked his head low and turned back around, praying that the man didn't follow him. His heart pounded in his ears and he could barely think straight. Was this some sort of prank? Had someone heard of what was going on and wanted to scare him?

Or perhaps it was something more sinister? What if that was the man Nakatomi had sent after him, and he wouldn't stop until he was... was dead?

He stopped in his tracks, ignoring the bustling crowd around him. As much as he hated to face the man again, he couldn't let him- as a suspect- get away. It was his duty to at least try and catch him. Inhaling shakily, he turned around to talk to the man again.

...only to find him nowhere in sight.

His brow furrowed and he swerved his eyes around the area for a second look. No, the man wasn't anywhere to be seen. It was like he'd vanished in thin air.

But that didn't make any sense. He'd only just seen him.

"DEKU!"

Spinning back around, he saw Iida and Uraraka running in his direction, both pushing against the flow of traffic to reach him. Both of them looked worried and out of breath as they ran over to him, with Uraraka's green jacket bouncing along with her.

"I'm so sorry, Deku, we must've been walking so fast that we didn't even notice you'd gotten left behind!" she panted as she skidded to a stop.

Izuku relaxed slightly; his friends were here now. Even if he happened to bump into the strange man again, at least he wouldn't be alone.

"Midoriya? Are you alright?" Iida asked, seeming puzzled at his silence. "You look pale. Did something happen while we were gone?"

"Um… well, there was this-" Izuku stopped himself. Again, he couldn't tell them. He wasn't even sure he could tell his mother. If she heard of this, he wouldn't be allowed outside for a month. No, he'd let All Might and the police know later on what had happened, but for now he just couldn't ruin his friends' day out. He owed them that much. "Actually, never mind. It was nothing."

"Are you sure?" Uraraka still looked bothered. "You can tell us anything!"

Izuku smiled and gave a slight shake of his head. "Don't worry, I'm okay. If I look pale, it must be the sun!"

Iida blinked. "Well... if you're sure." He cleared his throat, looking at his friends. "Okay then, Midoriya, now that we're back on track, why don't you lead the way to that restaurant you were taking us to for lunch?"

"The restaurant. Right." Izuku nodded and started to walk again. The others followed him. "Uh, it's about ten minutes away from here. And…" He offered a smile. "You know, thanks for coming back for me."

Uraraka gave her brightest grin in return. "Of course! It's not like we'd just leave you, right?"

"Yeah… right."

Izuku let out a breath as he tried to calm his nerves. Nakatomi's warning wasn't as easy to brush off anymore. Maybe he wasn't lying when he'd promised his friends would come after him.

Still, no matter what happened, he promised himself that Nakatomi wasn't going to win. Even if it killed him, he swore to be at the trial and give his testimony. It was his duty, and he would fulfill it…

He had to.


I'll hopefully see you guys on Wednesday (if I remember to post)! Thanks for reading!