Everyone has a breaking point, for Midoriya it was his mom, watching him deteriorate was like watching a car crash in slow motion, but hopefully we can pick up the pieces. - Minoru Mineta


I do not own My Hero Academia, it is owned by Horikoshi


Chapter 15: Breakdown


T-2 Days until All Might Arrives on I-Island (Todoroki Residence):

Enji Todoroki aka Endeavor looked through the reports concerning the crime scene again. 'There has to be something people missed,' he thought, 'I've gone over the background of Izuku Midoriya and his parents and there was nothing really odd about it aside for how late his quirk manifested and the fact he's an analytical genius, which I already knew given the report he gave Shoto. He also has a connection to All Might, apparently that blond moron found him prior to the U.A. entry exam, he probably recognized the signs of the boy's quirk manifesting.'

He read through Rocky's account of what happened, part of it had already leaked to the press, thankfully June's 'little' brother had actually survived and wasn't facing any blame for failing to save Inko Midoriya. 'Then again given the odds, and what he was facing, nobody would expect someone his size and build to be able to do more than slow down an attacker with that much power at their disposal,' Enji thought, 'It's good that he'll be able to recover, given his bone structure, doctors had been afraid he'd be effectively crippled for the rest of his life. Wait a minute...' The number 2 pro read through the what one of the villain's underlings said, "Boss we gotta go... It's coming up on time."

'They were organized, they had this planned out down to the minute, is this the start of a larger push to target the families of heroes?' Endeavor's eyes narrowed, "While Izuku Midoriya might have been the only target, I can't take that chance... Security around Rei should be fairly tight and I have sidekicks keeping an eye out for anything unusual in that district, Fuyumi will take precautions and she has me on speed dial in the advent of an emergency.' He sighed, "That leaves Natsuo and Shoto, I'll have Fuyumi talk to Natsuo, and I'll talk to Shoto..."


Shoto looked over the information as to when his flight to I-Island would be leaving, 'I would have liked to have gotten out earlier. Granted he has been giving me space of late, but what's he playing at.' His father had taken his work home with him, setting up a series of white boards inside the small dojo, normally aside from hellish training, that room was kept empty except for exercise equipment. The youngest in the Todoroki household went back to packing, mentally going through a checklist when there was a knock on the side of his open door, 'I thought I had closed it.' He turned around, only to see him standing there. "What do you want?"

"I want you to watch yourself while on I-Island," his father stated.

"You're telling me this why?" Shoto knew very well that this was not something that his father would be telling him ordinarily.

"Because there has been no progress in locating the people that murdered your classmate's mother, and I honestly suspect they left the country," answered Enji Todoroki.

"I-Island has the best security system in the world, it has never..."

"Shoto, there is always a first time," his father cut him off, "I have an uneasy feeling about you heading off right now. What happened to your classmate's mother may be an isolated incident, or it could be we have a villain targeting the families of pro-heroes and hero students. So if I call you, I expect you to answer, because it will not be a social call; I don't want a repeat of last time are we clear?"

The boy started to bristle at his father's order, 'How dare he, after all...' then it hit him, 'He's right, I could be a target to get at father.' A chill ran down his spine as he realized his father was actually worried, he'd never seen his father showing any sign of fear. He considered his next words for a moment, "Have you talked to Fuyumi and Natsuo?"

"I will talk to Fuyumi next, but I'll have her talk to your brother."

'Well that makes sense,' Shoto thought considering how well his older brother got along with his dad. "I'll keep my eyes open," he promised.

"Good, I'll let you know if there is any news concerning that villain, hopefully I'm wrong and the bastard is still in Japan cowering in a hole somewhere."

"Understood."


T-1 Days Until All Might Arrives on I-Island (Outside David Shield's lab):

"So, you're going to be here tomorrow?" Hawks asked over the phone.

"Yeah, I'll be there, how's young Midoriya holding up?"

"He's getting better, I set up your hotel room reservation so it's across the hall from mine, so did you decide who you were taking with you?"

"Well I asked young Tokoyami to come with and he said yes," came the reply, "If he hadn't, I would have had to ask Torino-sensei..."

"Why not Yaoyorozu or Uraraka?" Hawks asked.

"Young Yaoyorozu is already coming, she's bringing Uraraka and Jiro with her, they should be arriving on I-Island fairly soon if they haven't already."

"Any word on finding those responsible?"

"None I'm afraid..."


Midoriya and Mineta's Hotel Room:

Izuku Midoriya let the hot water from the shower roll over his skin as he cried. While he had always wanted to see I-Island, this was the worst possible way to see it. 'If I hadn't accepted One for All, mom would still be alive,' he thought, 'it's all my fault.' Being a hero and saving people had been his dream, and thanks to what that villain did, it had turned almost into a living nightmare. 'That smell of that perfume that woman was wearing, it was the same mom used to wear,' he realized absently.

'Will they target Uraraka next, Mineta, or Kacchan? No, I don't think they could pull off targeting Kacchan,' Midoriya shook as he turned off the water and started drying himself, 'the nightmares have been awful, I keep seeing what few friends I have dead like mom.' He realized he hadn't picked out any socks or a shirt to wear as he got dressed, but it wasn't like he was planning to go anywhere anyways as he flopped down on his bed.

'I can't see Mineta staying down there too much later,' he thought chuckling slightly, 'There weren't any girls down in the exercise room.'


Hotel Lobby:

Mineta was incredibly bored, he actually had just gotten through with using an exercise bike in the hotel's small gym and he quite frankly hated exercising... 'Well okay pools are okay if there are hot girls in bikinis...' He saw a familiar figure in the lobby, 'Is that Yaoyorozu, no it can't be, wait that's Ochaco...'

"Hello Mineta," came a familiar voice behind him and he spun around to see an angry Jiro.

"Okay, I'm not sure why you're mad at me," Mineta's looked at her in befuddlement.

"There you are, Jiro... Mineta what are you doing here?" He knew that was Yaoyorozu.

"Where's Deku?" asked Uraraka sounding like she was about ready to strangle him.

"He should be upstairs in the Hotel Room, he went up before I did," Mineta answered turning around to glare at her, "Did you really think I'd leave him on his own?" Now it was Ochaco's turn to look chastened.

"Well since you're here, you can help with our bags," Jiro suggested.

"Fine..."


20 minutes later:

Mineta sat at a table in Yaoyorozu's suite with the three girls.

"I take it this is where they sent you and Midoriya," Yaoyorozu stated, "Why didn't you call me?"

"I was ordered not to talk to anyone about where we were," Mineta stated, "Which you should already know considering it's like Heroics 101 here."

"Wait what?" Uraraka looked confused while Jiro face-palmed.

"My apologies, that was a foolish question," the class rep looked embarrassed, "What he means is when you have a situation where someone is being targeted by villains, like say a key material witness, they are hidden and often moved from safe-house to safe-house, during such time they are forbidden to contact anyone else due to the possibility of the villains discovering their location." This caused Uraraka to look embarrassed at that particular lesson slipping her mind.

"So how's he holding up?" Uraraka asked.

"Not well," Mineta admitted, "We got to help set up some student exhibits while we've been here and Midoriya of course worked himself into the ground to the point at the end of the day he just fell flat on his face..."

"That does sounds like Midoriya," Yaoyorozu admitted, "He's really bad about opening up to others."

"What are you talking about? He's always..." Jiro stammered

"No, she's right, though he used to be more open with me," interrupted Mineta, "Think about the conversations that he's had with most people in the class, it's always stuff that would be in the purview of being the Vice Rep, or trying to help people with their problems. He rarely confides in others, he talks to the Vice Rep of class 1-B, but it is stuff related to the stresses of being vice rep. He'd tell me some stuff, but he just tried to compartmentalize or bury his own feelings and problems... I think he's pretty close to a complete emotional breakdown."

"Do you realize what you're saying?" Jiro asked, "This is like saying you don't think he's mentally fit to even be a hero."

Mineta started shaking in response to the accusation. "He saw his mother's mangled dead body, he got past the police line and saw the body!" Mineta snapped at her, "The only way he'd be fine is if he was a sociopath, and I can guarantee you that Izzy is no sociopath!"

"He saw..." Jiro looked shocked.

"I'm going to talk to him," said Uraraka decisively, "Mineta can you stay with Hawks?"

"Hawks is with Dr. Shields, there's something they wanted to discuss and they sent Midoriya back here early. I really don't think it's a good idea for you to talk to him by yourself," Mineta replied.

"Jealous?" asked Jiro, causing Uraraka to turn beat red realizing what they were implying.

"That's not it, I'm just worried that in Izzy's emotional state, things could end up in a situation where it would cause other issues," Mineta sighed, "Like he'd be taken advantage of, or you would feel obligated to do something that you don't want."

"Wow, that's actually rather mature of you," Jiro commented.

"I'm not going to let things go that far," Uraraka stammered whose face was as red as a strawberry.

"Sure..." Jiro replied.

"Jiro that's enough," Yaoyorozu admonished, "I think this is reasonable, I trust Uraraka not to do something foolish."

"How about we just have a get together with the U.A. students that are here for I-Expo, well the ones we can get a hold of anyways..." suggested Mineta, "I'm going to see if Dr. Shield's daughter can also stop by." He got up to walk out the door, "Fact is, I'm not sure if this will help or not, he was rather close to his mom and didn't have many friends growing up. If this was targeted they knew right where to hit him."


Midoriya and Mineta's Hotel Room:

'Where's Mineta?' thought Midoriya sitting on his bed in his shorts, 'I'm getting worried.' There was a knock at the door. 'Don't tell me he forgot his key.' He walked over to the door, "I'm coming." He didn't bother looking through the peep hole and when he opened the door he found himself face to face with Uraraka. "Uh hi, Uraraka what're you doing here?"

"Deku?"

"W-when did you get? How did?"

"Yaoyorozu invited Jiro and I to I-Expo, well we drew lots to get to got to the preview show, and Jiro and I won," she answered, "We ran into Mineta in the lobby."

"W-where's Mineta?"

"He's fine as far as I know," she answered, "Deku, can I come in?"

"Uh sure," he let her into the apartment, then realized his attire and cursed the fact he'd not gotten out another shirt from his pack from when he'd just gotten cleaned up after exercising. To be fair he'd also been crying while he had been in the shower, he couldn't show how torn up he was because it would make Mineta worry. "I-I'm sorry..." he said turning red. Only to freeze when he felt her arms wrap around him, "U-Uraraka?" There was the smell again, additionally the only person that had hugged him for as long as he could remember was...

"It's okay... I'm here," she said as Midoriya's body started shuddering in her arms, "I know you're hurting, you can let it out."

"I-It's my fault," he starting to cry collapsing into her arms, "It's all my fault!"

"Deku, it isn't your fault," she stroked his head as he sobbed into her shoulder, "It's all right now." She took in the fact that it looked like he hadn't been taking good care of himself, 'He's lost weight. Mineta was right, he's hanging on by a thread.'

"Uraraka, I'm sorry, I got your shirt wet," he pulled away, unsure of how long he'd been crying, as he heard the door click.

"You should have waited for me to get back," Mineta sighed, his comment just now struck Uraraka as incredibly odd, even if he'd made a significant effort to stop the perverted behavior, some of it still came to the surface now and again. "Good thing I told Melissa you already had a girlfriend," he said with a complete deadpan tone, there was none of the sly undertone that she would have expected.

"He hasn't been seeing any councilor or anything?" Midoriya recognized that voice as Melissa's.

"No, they haven't had him see a councilor, if it were the US it would likely be mandatory, but in Japan..."

Uraraka's eyes met Mineta's and she recognized that he was terrified, 'He's scared for Deku,' she thought.

"Put a shirt on Izzy and get your face washed up, we're going to meet with our classmates," said Mineta.

"R-r-right."

"Mineta, I..."

"I know you are trying to help," he sighed, "I just don't think it's a good idea right now."

"I'm ready," said Midoriya uneasily after pulling on a shirt and grabbing his bunny slippers, "It's not far is it?"

"One floor up, but not far from the elevator," Mineta stated.

As they rode up the elevator Midoriya again tried to apologize for the shirt only for Mineta to punch him in the leg. Uraraka led them to the door of a suite and after knocking used her key card to open the door.

"Welcome back Uraraka, hey Midoriya, Mineta, why's your shirt wet," Jiro asked as Yaoyorozu was making some tea.

"Do you have any preference when it comes to tea?"

"N-not really," Midoriya answered, "I-I'm..." Mineta hit him again.

"I'm fine with English Tea Time, though I really have no real preference," Melissa answered.

"Would you stop it already," Mineta said quietly to Midoriya, "For all we know your mother could have been targeted because of me so knock it off."

Jiro used one of her earphone jacks on Mineta to shut him up, "Midoriya how are you feeling?"

"I'm just fine, I can keep going," Midoriya replied.

"Jeeze Jiro!" Mineta snapped, "That hurt!"

"Okay that's enough!" Yaoyorozu stated, "Anyways the tea is ready, and dinner should be here soon."

"If it's all the same to you, I should be going, I don't want to..."

"Shut up and sit down," ordered Mineta, "You haven't been eating well."

"S-sorry for making you..."

"Enough with the apologies already!"

"Mineta, I don't think that's helping," Yaoyorozu admonished her short classmate, "That said I understand you're worried."

"I'm sorry for making you worried, I'm fine really..."

"No you're not," replied Jiro, "Though anyone sane that had to go through what you did wouldn't be all right."

At that moment there was a buzz at the door, dinner had arrived.


After Dinner:

"I really can't believe someone would target your mom over a dumb rumor," Jiro commented, "Also the hornet nest that would be kicked up if that rumor had been true; there are already tons of heroes looking for that guy. The fame they would get for taking down that guy..."

"I'm not interested in revenge, I just want him stopped, so he can't do it to anyone else," Midoriya replied.

"Changing subjects, did you two bring your hero costumes?"

"Yes...Of Course!" both boys answered simultaneously.

"That's a cool bracelet Midoriya," Jiro commented, it contrasts with your eyes and hair.

"Well..."

"It's actually not a toy," Melissa answered, "It's a support item to allow him to go over his limit with his quirk in an emergency."

"Makes sense," replied Jiro, "Yaoyorozu do you know if any other class members are coming?"

"I know Tokoyami should be here tomorrow around 10:00 AM local time," answered Mineta.

"How do you know that?"

"Hawks..."

"I know Iida's flight should have just gotten here," Yaoyorozu stated, "Kaminari got here two days ago, he's going to be working, waiting tables at one of the restaurants. Bakugo and Kirishima got here yesterday evening. I believe Todoroki's flight arrived two hours ago. As for the others they will be here tomorrow afternoon, since they can't see the preview of the expo. Anyways Iida and Todoroki are staying in different hotels as is Kaminari."

"Doesn't your family partially own this hotel?" asked Mineta.

"They do, how did you know?"

"The statue of you depicted as the Goddess Athena in the middle of the lobby," joked Mineta.

"What statue?" asked Uraraka.

"I was joking, I remember seeing her family's name somewhere around here," he shrugged.

"Changing the subject, aren't we supposed to meet Bakugo and Kirishima in 15 minutes?" asked Uraraka.

"Uh, I'm really not..."

"It's okay Deku, it's in the hotel," Uraraka tried assuring him.

"If the bunny slippers bother you that much we can swing by our room and get your regular shoes," Mineta commented.


Breakfast Lounge (15 Minutes Later):

"I'm kinda amazed Bakugo agreed to meet up," Uraraka commented as the group sat down to talk.

"I didn't, broom-head badgered me until I said I'd come," Bakugo retorted, "Before you all ask, I haven't heard anything from Deku or the Grape Runt, nor would I expect to. Who is the girl with the glasses?"

"I'm Melissa Shields," she held out her hand, "You've probably heard of my dad." In a rare show of courtesy Bakugo actually shook her hand.

"Yeah, I've heard of him, he's an inventor that worked with All Might in the states," he acknowledged, as Mineta walked in behind him followed by Midoriya who looked like he'd rather not be there. "So this is where they hid you, Deku," said Bakugo, he had caught Midoriya's reflection out of the reflection off of a wall mirror.

"Hey Kacchan, hi Kirishima," Midoriya replied.

"Why isn't he greeting the girls?" Kirishima asked.

"Because he already met them earlier, moron!"

"How do you know that?"

"Because he would have greeted them also..." he said holding up one finger, "Also the fact they aren't surprised to see him." He held up a second finger.

"Oh right..." Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "My condolences for your loss."

"Thanks..."

"Hey Deku, stop moping like an idiot already, it's what that loser villain wanted you dumb nerd!"

"R-right..."

The group talked for a while after that about the results of the midterm finals and other news and their plans for the next day.

"Well I've got to meet up with Tokoyami," stated Midoriya, "Mineta were you meeting up with someone?"

"I was going to try to meet up with Asui the day after tomorrow, though I might stop by where Kaminari is working just to say hi."

"You two idiots are not wandering around by yourselves," Bakugo snapped.

"Kachan!"

"Don't call me an idiot..." Mineta growled.

"I was going to show Izuku around I-Expo since he spent a good amount of helping to set it up, you too Mineta if you're interested..."

Mineta was tempted, but the fact of the matter was, he thought Melissa could get Midoriya to open up instead of bottling up his emotions. "I think I'm booked for part of it, though I may take you up on it later in the day, either that or day after tomorrow.

"You're staying close to broom head and myself Grape Runt, where I can keep an eye on you. I can trust bird brain to keep an eye on Deku," said Bakugo.

"I think we can meet up with you and Melissa at the display for some of the new hero support items," said Yaoyorozu to Midoriya, "There are some friends of mine that live on I-Island now that I need to catch up with."

"But..." Uraraka stammered.

"Midoriya isn't going to cheat on you, and Tokoyami would be there..."

"W-wha?" both Midoriya's and Uraraka's faces turned a bright red causing Mineta to crack up.


That night Midoriya slept, at first his dreams were almost nightmares until they suddenly stopped. "Sleep," came a voice that he didn't recognize. "Sleep," there was a different voice. He didn't feel threatened though as the dreams subsided and he welcomed a dreamless oblivion that allowed him to sleep through the night.


Notes:

The was honestly a difficult chapter to write, obviously Izuku Midoriya isn't okay and what has allowed him to get through things is the fact he has an unhealthy tendency to compartmentalize everything.

While people may be wondering why Midoriya hasn't been getting counselling for all of this, remember he's from Japan not the United States and there is more of a stigma associated with receiving psychological counselling than there would be in the United States.

If people are wondering why Bakugo is going easy on Midoriya, it is because Bakugo recognizes the trauma that Midoriya has received, heck he's feeling it to a lesser extent.

A final note I hope people have figured out who or what has intervened for Midoriya.