Chapter 8
Ann Takamaki never had many friends throughout her days of school. Often times, people would shy away from her because of her looks. It was no secret that she was of foreign descent, which explained her natural blond hair. But that had only been the start of things. Now, with the rumor running around about her supposed affair with Kamoshida, students seemed even more liable to ignore her. The whispers and the odd stares never went unnoticed by Ann, and sometimes she wondered how she got by.
Sitting next to her was her best answer: Shiho Suzui. Her one and only best friend since middle school. Sure, she had made some casual friends now and again, one such as Ryuji Sakamoto until their eventual divide due to classes. But only one had persisted through the years, and that was Shiho. Shiho was a pretty young woman, with long brown hair held up in a pony tail with matching eyes. Unlike most girls, she wore the school's uniform without the blazer, instead a beige sweater replacing it.
Most of Ann's relationship with her, she had known Shiho to be jovial, kind, carefree… but not today. Not recently, to be more accurate. She had always seemed tired whenever Ann was with her, and she often looked dejected or even lifeless. It would take some rousing from Ann to get her to come out of it a bit, but today didn't seem to work with her.
"Are you sure you're okay? I think you might be pushing yourself too hard in practice…" Ann muttered in concern, reaching over and rubbing her best friend's shoulder.
"I-it's nothing… I've just been tired lately, is all…" Shiho lamely excused, having used that line more than Ann could ount over the past few weeks.
A concerned frown covered her face, but Ann said nothing. An idea suddenly popped in her head, the platinum blonde giving a playful smile. "Hey, why don't you play hookie today? Let's go around the town, me and you. You look like you could use some time to relax."
Shiho seemed to rouse at this, looking up at Ann for a moment in contemplation. A brief smile flashed across her face before dread took over, her eyes falling back to the ground. "N-no… I-I shouldn't miss practice. Volley ball is… the only thing I'm good at, after all."
Ann frowned again, both at her friend's dejected tone and at the bruise she caught sight ove above her eye. "Hey… that bruise on your eye, where'd that come from?"
Shiho almost unnoticably widened her eyes, reaching up and touching tthe purple skin and cringing. "I-it's from practice… I fell and hurt myself a bit."
"Oh, okay…" Ann accepted, though part of her wasn't so sure about the excuse. She remembered the words from Ryuji and the transfer student, Midoriya. They had warned her about some sort of abuse from Kamoshida. Did that bruise have any relation to that?
A sudden ring in her pocket brought Ann out of her thoughts, a feeling of dread filling her. She wasn't sure how, but Ann knew exactly who it was.
"Aren't you going to get that?" Shiho asked, raising a brow at the blonde.
"Nah, it's probably just my part-time job. They can wait." Ann dismissed, waving a hand.
Shiho nodded, not giving the phone much thought after that. "I… should be going. Practice will start soon." The limited energy in her voice only made Ann more concerned, watching her friend stand up.
"Shiho.. Are you sure nothing's wrong?" Ann asked again, hoping to get her friend to open up a little.
"Yep." Shiho answered shortly, not looking back at her best friend as she started to walk away. "I'll see you later, Ann."
"Okay…" Ann sighed, standing up after her and watching her leave. Deciding she couldn't take listening to her ringtone much longer, Ann reached in her pocket and pulled out her phone. Much to her chagrin, it was exactly who she was expecting on the other line. Of course… Ann knew she couldn't just flat out ignore him though, bringing the phone to her ear and answering. "Hey… sorry, not today, I… I don't feel very good… sorry, bye…" She took a breath of relief as the call ended, stuffing her phone away again. With that, Ann took off for home, seeing little reason she had to stay any longer. She'd hate to run into Kamoshida personally.
Izuku sighed as he looked at his phone, moving mechanically through the halls toward the courtyard. Ever since the revelation that the staff and parents might actually know about the abuse, the green haired teen couldn't help but feel downtrodden. What hope they originally had before of getting Kamoshida for the abuse seemed to slip away the more Izuku thought it over. With what damage students seemed to have just from the 'practices', how could any parent not question what was going on? The answer to that question filled Izuku with dread. How could any parent let their child suffer such things?
Still, Izuku and Ryuji were hanging onto the hope that perhaps one of the students were still willing to talk. Izuku was currently texting the faux blond, the two discussing their next plan of action.
Ryuji: i'm gonna look into the last two guys on the list.
Ryuji: meet me at the vending machines in 15, mkay?
Izuku: Okay, I'll see you there.
Izuku hadn't paid much attention to where he was walking, eyes focused on his phone as he suddenly bumped into someone, jumping in surprise as he recoiled back and looked up at the person, waving his arms in apology. "A-ah, sorry! I-I wasn't paying attention!" He exclaimed, quickly bowing in apology.
"N-no… it's okay, don't worry about it." Izuku looked back up to see a dark haired girl with a pony tail in front of him, a bruise over her left eye. "I was lost in thought, too…"
"A-ah, I see…" Izuku muttered, coughing into his hand as he tried to compose himself. T-try not to freak out! T-think of it like t-talking to K-Koto-san! He mentally urged, straightening up as rubbed the back of his head. "W-well, I should be go…" Izuku stopped the moment his eyes landed on the bruise. Looking at it now, it didn't seem like something that you naturally hurt yourself getting. "A-are you alright? Y-you look hurt…" Izuku muttered, inspecting the bruise.
"Huh?" The girl blinked in question before her hand subconsciously reached up to the bruise. "O-oh… it's nothing… don't worry, you didn't cause it or anything…" She muttered, now covering it up with her palm. She inspected Izuku for a moment before raising a brow. "You don't look very familiar… are you the first year transfer student?"
Izuku winced when he heard that, casting his gaze down to the floor. "Y-yes... " he mumbled out, knowing that she likely heard about his criminal record. It seemed like he could barely go an hour in this school without facing some sort of ridicule over such.
"I see. Well, don't let what people say get to you, okay?" The girl declared, her words causing Izuku to blink and look back up at her in shock. "I know that things can get pretty bad when you've been labeled, so try not to let what people say bother you."
Izuku had to admit, he was surprised that this girl he'd barely met was now offering him advice and comfort. Most of the students were content with ignoring or shunning him completely. But this girl was actually quite kind, and he could hear her genuine concern. Giving a small smile, Izuku did his best to hold back any tears of joy he might feel from this small encounter. "Th-thank you… I-I'll try my best not to…"
"That's good to hear. I hope things will get better." She said, giving a small smile. "My best friend is judged and misunderstood because of her looks, so I know that it's not easy for others once they've been labeled like that."
"Y-yeah…" Izuku smiled, showing his appreciation for the kind words she shared with him. "T-thank you… it means a lot to hear that…" He sniffled, wiping his eyes in his sleeve to cover up the tears. "I-I'm Izuku Midoriya…"
"Shiho. Shiho Suzui." She introduced before looking back at her phone and frowning. "O-oh… I'm sorry but I have to go to practice… it was nice to meet you, Midoriya-kun."
"S-same here, Suzui-sempai. I-I'll see you around!" Izuku nodded, stepping aside so she could pass him and smiling. She flashed him a brief smile before frowning again as she walked forward, causing the green haired teen to blink as he watched her leave. It was strange to see her transition from quiet kindness to what looked like obligatory movement. It was obvious she was dragging her feet as she walked, but why was the question. If Suzui's expression was any indicator, she wasn't looking forward to her practice. Izuku opened his mouth to call out, but held back. It wasn't his business. He had barely met the girl, after all. Still, she had been quite nice, even though she was aware of the rumors surrounding him. Izuku couldn't help but feel a bit concerned.
"Hey, Izuku." The green haired tene turned around after hearing his name called, Ryuji standing some ways away in the courtyard. "Everything cool?"
"Huh?" Izuku mumbled out before shaking his head, offering a nod in dismissal. "Y-yeah, I'm okay. W-was I making you wait?"
"Naw, just saw you on my way here. Come on, let's get a drink at least." Ryuji ushered, his tone sounding defeated as he spoke. He led the younger teen to the vending machines, sighing as he put in some money and pressed a few buttons. "So, as I'm sure you can tell, I got nothin' outta those guys."
"Y-yeah, after what Mishima-san said, it's not surprising if they've all been silenced like that…" Izuku admitted, casting his gaze to the floor. "B-but I don't want to believe that parents would let that kind of thing go on…"
"Me either, but… it's not unheard of for parents to look the other way so long as it means their kid gets by…" Ryuji admitted, scratching the back of his head in frustration. "But damn it, if no one confesses, then we really are outta options."
"Well… we could try and catch Kamoshida-sensei in the act…" Izuku suggested, holding his chin in thought. Immediately, memories of the night with the drunk who accused him flashed before his eyes, the green haired teen wincing visibly. "B-but… Kamoshida-sensei is probably really cautious. And if we get caught, he'll likely force the student to testify against us…"
"Oh… yeah, huh?" Ryuji sighed, his own expression faltering the more they talked about their weak chances. "Damn it, I don't want it to end like this. There's got to be a way to figure a way around this."
"Well… Koto-san is supposed to meet us here soon. One other option I thought of was… seeing if we could confirm whether or not the principal is-"
"Wait, you actually brought her in on this?!" Ryuji blurted in shock, Izuku blinking in confusion. Suddenly he realized it. He had completely forgotten to inform Ryuji the day before that he asked for Makoto's help, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow as he laughed nervously.
"S-sorry, I t-totally forgot to tell you… K-Koto-san was willing to help and… I thought it would be okay if we got more people on our side!" Izuku suggested with a hopeful grin. Ryuji grumbled as he crossed his arms in thought, leaning his back against the vending machine.
"I… guess that makes sense. We do pretty much have nothing at this point…" Ryuji admitted, scratching the back of his head. "But are you sure about this? I know you said she was your pal from a while back, but from what I hear, Nijima-sempai is one of those teacher's pet types. She might not be willing to go against a teacher, ya know."
Izuku blinked at his words before furrowing his brow seriously, shaking his head. "N-no, I don't believe that. Before Koto-san moved away, she was just like me… she wanted to be a hero." Izuku declared, causing Ryuji to raise a brow in surprise. "She wouldn't let something so terrible go on. I believe that with all my heart."
Ryuji bit his bottom lip for a moment before nodding in acceptance. "Well, if you say so, then. Still, just relyin' on her talkin' to Kobayakawa doesn't sit right with me. There any other ways we can nail that guy for all the abuse?"
Izuku looked down in thought again, trying his best to formulate some sort of plan for them. "Well, even if Koto-san is able to determine that the principal isn't hiding the abuse, it will be difficult to convince the students of that. Their parents might be in on it even without him. But if the worst case scenario turns out to be true, then we have little else to try. We'd have to expose him by recording it, but after all this time I doubt he's so careless. We'd have to figure out where it takes place, when would be a perfect time to try and spy, and make sure he doesn't find us…"
"Uh, dude, you're doing it again." Ryuji chuckled as his words brought Izuku back from the brink, the teen blinking owlishly at Ryuji as his face flushed from embarrassment.
"You know, there is one option still open to you guys."
Ryuji and Izuku paused, the voice belonging to neither of them. Izuku and Ryuji looked around in question, only to find that there was no one nearby in the courtyard. "Uh, was that you?"
"N-no, it wasn't. But the voice sounded familiar…" Izuku admitted, scratching the back of his head.
"Down here, geniuses." Izuku and Ryuji looked to their feet, both raising a brow in question when they saw a normal looking house cat standing there. "I haven't seen you guys for a bit, so I was wondering how your progress was going."
It became rather obvious that it wasn't a normal house cat the moment it talked.
"D-dude! Did the cat just talk?!" Ryuji blurted out, taking a step back from the feline. Izuku had recoiled as well, but the familiarity of the voice struck him quite quickly.
"M-M-Morgana-san?!" Izuku stuttered out in realization.
"Oh good, at least one of you got it." Morgana sighed, jumping on top of the picnic table between them. "Then again, you have always been quick on uptake."
"Wait a sec-what?! You sayin' the cat is that stupid cat?!" Ryuji blanched.
"Hey!" Morgana snapped, spinning around and glaring up at Ryuji. "Who are you calling stupid?! I don't want to hear that coming from you!"
"I-it really is you, Morgana-san!" Izuku said, taking a step closer as he watched the cat in question. "Wh-what are you doing here? H-how did you get here?!"
"I came to check up on you guys. I wanted to make sure you'd still come through on our deal, after all." Morgana chuckled, straightening up on all paws and wiping his face on his paw. "Besides, I had a feeling you guys might need my help for your predicament."
"That condesendin' attitude… yep, that's Morgana alright." Ryuji sighed, shaking his head. "But looks like we were right. You really are a cat."
"I am not a cat!" Morgana snapped back in annoyance. "And how could you still doubt me after hearing me speak?!"
"Hey! Quiet down, we don't want anyone to-"
"Midori!" Ryuji and Izuku jumped when they heard Makoto's voice, the green haired teen glancing sideways to see the third year student waving to him from the opposite building across the courtyard.
"A-ah, K-Koto-san!" Izuku waved back nervously before snapping his head back to Ryuji and Morgana. "Q-quick! We have to hide you, Morgana-san!"
"What? Why?!" Morgana blinked in surprise, standing on his paw toes anxiously.
"Why do you think?! We're not gonna freak out Nijima-sempai with an effin' talking cat!" Ryuji whisper shouted, reaching forward and grabbing Morgana by the scruff of his neck. "Quick, Izuku, gimme your bag!"
"Wh-what?! My bag?!" Izuku blanched in a whisper as well, handing his bag over despite the protest.
"Just for now! Make sure you keep quiet, got it?" Ryuji told the feline, Morgana struggling in his grip.
"Don't you dare-!" Morgana hissed before being stuffed in the confines of the school bag, Ryuji quickly zipping it up before he could further protest. Ryuji and Izuku quickly adjusted themselves to look as casual as possible as Makoto walked up to them. The brunette senior was looking around for something, not immediately looking at the two as she approached.
"H-hey, student prez! Whatcha lookin' for?" Ryuji asked awkwardly, clearing his throat as he spoke.
"Oh, nothing, I suppose. I just thought I heard a cat meowing close by…" Makoto hummed as she looked around the courtyard, shrugging as she dismissed the idea. "Perhaps I was just hearing things."
"A cat..?" Izuku blinked in surprise, gaze trailing back to his bag. Was she hearing Morgana? But he was talking plainly only a moment ago…
"I suppose it's nothing." Makoto dismissed before looking back at the two. "So, you wanted to speak about our previous discussion, correct?"
"A-ah, yeah…" Ryuji nodded numbly, deciding to leave his questions regarding Morgana for later. "Izuku here tells me you wanna help us out?"
"That's right. I… decided to do some digging of my own and spoke to a few of the students part of the volleyball team." Makoto admitted, rubbing her arm sheepishly as she looked back at Izuku. "Sorry I didn't tell you, I just wanted to see the students for myself… a lot of them are heavily injured, and when I asked how they got them, they were quick to act defensive. I believed you when you told me of the abuse, but… seeing the injuries for myself, it just confirmed it further."
"So you really do believe us?! You see why we gotta take this asshole down?!" Ryuji exclaimed, his spirits lifting now that the two finally had someone who believed in them. After two days of back to back dismissal, some reassurance of their stance went a long way with Ryuji.
"That's right. I can't let this go unanswered. If a teacher, or anyone for that matter, is hurting students like this, I want to help stop them as much as I can." Makoto declared, giving a reassuring smile.
Izuku felt a warm smile cross his lips, giving a hard nod of acceptance. "Of course! We'll be counting on you!" Izuku was happy to hear Makoto confirm her aid. Not that he ever doubted that she would in the first place. Looking over at Ryuji, he could see that the faux blond had some of his doubts assuaged by her words.
"Okay then… you're one of us, now!" Ryuji declared, giving a dumb grin of his own. "Hope you don't mind lookin' like a troublemaker, though. Right now, me and this guy got that label plastered on our backs."
"That's fine with me. Besides, if I wanted to dismiss it, I would just say that I'm attempting to help two delinquents get on the right path." Makoto giggled, a bead of sweat forming on both Ryuji and Izuku's heads. "I'm just joking. Anyways, is there anything I can do to be of assistance right now?"
"Y-yes. I wanted to know if you could speak to Kobayakawa-sensei about all of this." Izuku suggested, sighing as he looked to the ground. "From what some of the players told us… the principal and even the parents know about the abuse… but are letting it happen."
Makoto's eyes widened in disbelief, her hand hovering over her mouth. "W-wait… the principal and the parents? Are you serious?"
"Yeah, that's what Mishima and a couple other guys told me today when I asked 'em about it." Ryuji confirmed, nodding solemnly. "We don't know if Kamoshida has been fillin' their heads with lies or if it's really the truth."
"That's why we want you to see if you can find out for us from the principal himself." Izuku spoke up again. "You probably shouldn't ask him straight out, but maybe try asking him to look into the abuse. Maybe even lie about someone saying they came to you and confessed. You'll be able to discern where he stands depending on how he answers you."
"I… I see." Makoto hummed with hesitation, a bit of sweat trailing down her cheek. "I'll… I'll get to the bottom of this. Hopefully, it's like you said and that it's just Kamoshida's lies. But either way, I'll find the truth of the matter."
"That'd be great. Because if it turns out that Kamoshida is just bullshitting, then we've at least got somewhere to go if we actually do get 'em to talk." Ryuji sighed in relief, but his eyes faltered a bit as he looked at the ground. "But if it's really true… then we won't have much of a chance…"
Makoto held her chin in thought for a moment, most likely thinking over the idea a bit. She wanted to think of any alternative available, but guessed that Izuku had considered many other options as well. Finally, Makoto nodded and looked up at them again. "Okay. Tomorrow I'll speak with the principal. He's already left for the day, but I should be able to get a hold of him in the morning before classes start."
"That's all we can ask for. Oh, and make sure not to bring either of us up, okay?" Ryuji motioned to himself and Izuku. "If it turns out that he is in on it, then he'll probably start lookin' for a reason to get rid of us."
"Th-thank you again, Koto-san. I hope we don't cause too much trouble for you by asking this." Izuku thanked her again, the brunette shaking her head in dismissal.
"No, it's fine. I'm glad I can do something helpful." Makoto offered a kind smile before looking down at a watch on her wrist. "Well, I have to get going. Text me if anything changes, and I'll do the same."
"Alright, I will!" Izuku nodded offering a smile as he waved goodbye. With that, Makoto walked away from the two, Ryuji breathing out in relief.
"Well, I guess you were right about her. We at least got someone else to believe in us." Ryuji smirked, looking back at the green haired teen.
"If she's gone, let me out!" A muffled voice cried out in annoyance, Izuku and Ryuji blinking for a moment in question before immediately looking at his bag.
"O-oh, sorry Morgana-san!" Izuku apologized, quickly unzipping the bag and watching as the cat desperately popped it's head out for air.
"I honestly almost forgot we put ya in there." Ryuji chuckled carelessly, earning a glare from the feline.
"You jerks! You realize how hot it is in that bag?!" Morgana complained, propping its legs up on the edge of the bag.
"S-s-sorry!" Izuku squeaked out again, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "B-but it was strange… earlier, it sounded like Koto-san only heard meowing rather than you talking…"
"Oh yeah. I confirmed that earlier, too." Morgana declared knowingly. "I walked up to some pedestrians on my way here and tried to talk to them. From the look of it, only you two can actually understand what I say. Everyone else just sees me as a cat."
"W-wait, really? Only us?" Ryuji blinked in shock, scratching the top of his head. "Does it have somethin' to do with goin' to that other world?"
"Possibly. I don't know the exact details of it myself, though. It's probably just safe to assume that whoever visits the metaverse is capable of hearing me." Morgana shrugged.
"S-still… we should probably go somewhere else to talk." Izuku suggested, looking around the courtyard to see other students passing by. "If a teacher catches us with you on campus, we might get into some trouble."
"Oh, I know. Let's head up to the roof." Ryuji suggested, looking back at Morgana. "Get back in the bag. We've gotta carry you through school and don't need people seein' you."
"Oh, not again! Come on!" Morgana complained as Ryuji reached forward and shoved his head back down before zipping it up. Izuku chuckled sheepishly as the faux blond handed him his shoulder bag before the two walked forward. Thankfully Morgana had been quiet as they moved through the school, the two easily getting to the roof without any trouble. Once they reached the rooftop, Izuku gently set the bag on the ground, unzipping it for the cat to breath again. "Geez, give me a second to get ready if you're going to do that!"
"We'd just be wastin' time." Ryuji rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"M-Morgana-san. Earlier, you said that there was another option open to us, right?" Izuku asked, getting straight to the point. "W-what exactly do you mean?"
"You were pretty on the nose about it back in the castle." Morgana pointed out, leaning forward on the bag. "You can make changes to the real Kamoshida if you alter something in his Palace, though it would be fairly drastic."
"O-oh yeah, I remember you brought that up…" Ryuji muttered, scratching the side of his head. "But didn't you say we weren't strong enough to try for that?"
"Originally we weren't. But now that you have a Persona as well, our chances of success have shot up tremendously." Morgana declared, crossing his paws. "Although one more person would be nice, that option isn't really available to us. That is, unless you wanted to see if your friend was willing to join us, too." he said, glancing at Izuku.
"Huh?" Izuku blinked in confusion before it clicked. "K-Koto-san?! N-no! I wouldn't ask her that, it's too dangerous!" He dismissed, shaking his head. "I-I felt bad about getting Koto-san involved in the first place. I don't want to put her in real danger as well!"
"Yeah, plus, we don't know if she'd even get a Persona just by goin' with us." Ryuji suggested, not liking the idea of taking the girl any more than Izuku. "But then again… what's her Quirk? She might be able to fend for herself without one."
"H-her Quirk?" Izuku blinked before scratching his head. "W-well… it's true that her Quirk could be considered hero class, but…"
"Wait, hero class?! Are you serious?!" Ryuji blinked in shock, causing Morgana to raise a furry brow in curiosity.
"What does it mean to have a hero class Quirk?" He asked, Ryuji turning to him quickly.
"That means she's got somethin' super amazing like Endeavor or somethin'!" Looking up in thought, Ryuji held a finger up. "O-oh, dude, I remember that she's always wearin' gloves, too! Does she got some sorta death touch maybe? Or-or maybe like-"
"R-Ryuji-sempai, we're not asking Koto-san to go with us!" Izuku cut him off, shaking his head furiously. "I-I don't want to risk her getting hurt, even if she is really strong…"
Ryuji opened his mouth to argue but bit his tongue, deciding that Izuku was most likely right. He wouldn't feel good if they did somehow get Makoto to agree to come along and ended up getting hurt. "Yeah, I guess you're right… sorry…"
"Well, regardless, with the three of us, I think we'll be fine so long as we're careful." Morgana reassured, deciding to get back on topic. "As I was saying, making changes to the castle would alter Kamoshida. Well, when I say changes, I mean completely erase the castle from the cognitive world."
"Wait, erase the castle?!" Ryuji blanched in shock. "How the hell would we do that?!"
"If you would shut up and let me finish, I'll tell you." Morgana sighed, glancing at Izuku who seemed similarly stunned. "Do you remember what the castle represents?"
"Y-yes, his way of seeing the school, and his… distorted desires…" Izuku mumbled to himself, trailing off as a light bulb clicked on above his head. "And… if the castle that represents those desires is removed… then so will the desires in his heart…" He said quietly, putting the pieces together.
"Precisely. Nice job putting all that together." Morgana chuckled with a pleased nod.
"W-wait, so what does that mean?!" Ryuji blurted out, still confused. "D-does that mean he'll be a better person?!"
"That's very likely. Considering that the desires he has would completely disappear along with the castle, you can be sure that it would have that effect on the Kamoshida of the real world." Morgana explained further for him.
"W-wow, really?" Ryuji hummed before looking to the side in thought. "But wait… is that really gettin' back at him for what he's been doing?"
"Th-think of it this way, Ryuji-sempai." Izuku spoke up again, looking up at Ryuji in thought. "If Kamoshida-sensei's desires are removed, then it would just leave him as a man who had done a lot of terrible things… and they'll weigh on his heart."
"His heart wouldn't be able to bear the weight of those sins and would force him to confess to the crimes himself!" Morgana finished for Izuku, sounding quite proud of the statement. "And once that Palace is gone, there will be no trace of what we did and no evidence of our involvement."
"Are you for real?! Th-that's amazing!" Ryuji grinned like an idiot, quickly turning to Izuku. "Dude, you know what that means?! We'll be able to get him without any sorta backlash on what we do!" Despite Ryuji's excitement, Izuku's expression was crestfallen, eyes directed at the ground as he held his chin in thought. "Wh-what's wrong?"
"Is it… really okay to change his heart like that, though?" Izuku muttered, glancing at Ryuji from the side. "I-I mean… I know it would be putting a stop to his crimes, but… would it really be okay for us to go that far?"
"Dude, it would mean puttin' an end to the abuse! All the people he's hurtin' would be free of him! What more could you ask for?" Ryuji suggested, resting a hand on his hip.
"I-it's not that… I want to help everyone he's hurting, but…" Izuku bit his bottom lip, eyes shaded by his hair. "Changing his heart… it sounds like we'll be brainwashing him… and I don't know if that's right… it's not what a hero would do…"
"In a way, it really is brainwashing." Morgana confirmed with a nod, his words causing Ryuji to blink. "But this begs the question: are you willing to do what it takes to make sure those kids are freed from him? Or are you willing to let what he does go on because you're not sure if it's right or not?"
"Plus, think of it this way! It's not like we're killin' him by doin' this!" Ryuji reasoned with a hopeful grin, turning to look at Morgana. "There's no chance of that happenin', right?"
Morgana didn't answer immediately, his eyes trailing to the side. "Well… that was going to be the next thing I mention…"
"Wait, what?!" Ryuji blanched again, Izuku's eyes becoming alert as he raised his head to look at the cat.
"Quiet and let me finish!" Morgana admonished before sighing. "Look, we're essentially erasing someone's desires by doing this. But desires are linked with everything we need to survive. The desire to sleep, eat, fall in love-those sort of things. All are linked to desires. When all of that is erased, it can lead to someone shutting down entirely. It may even lead to death if not given the proper care."
"What?! They could die?!" Ryuji shouted again in shock. Izuku was stunned into silence, his eyes widening as he paled at the thought. "Would that… would his death be our fault if we did it?" Ryuji asked, glancing at Izuku. The green haired teen looked terribly shaken, gulping as he visibly trembled.
"Isn't that a risk you're willing to take? Aren't you both determined enough to make that choice?" Morgana asked with narrowed eyes, looking confident in his words. "Plus, it's not like it's for sure that they would die. It just runs the risk of it."
"No." Izuku spoke up finally, his voice slightly rigid as both Morgana and Ryuji turned their attention back to him. "N-no… I'm not willing to risk his life to stop him… it… it would make us no better than him… no better than villains if we went that far!" Izuku snapped out, his eyes filled with furious tears. "I want to stop him with all my heart, but I… if I caused his death trying to do that… then how could I ever look at myself again?!" He shouted, grinding his teeth in frustration.
"I-Izuku…" Ryuji muttered, frowning in sympathy. Speaking honestly, he felt somewhat the same. He hated Kamoshida, probably more than anyone else did, but to kill him? Even he wouldn't feel good about going so far.
"W-we'll stop him another way…" Izuku continued, sniffling as he reached up with his arm and wiped away the snot and tears. "I-I won't… I won't kill him just to stop him…"
It was silent between the three after that. Morgana wanted to continue arguing his case, but decided against it. He could see what kind of heart that Izuku had, gentle and caring. It was unfair to put that kind of pressure on such a good person. To make them decide to risk killing their enemy even though it goes against everything they believe in. Still, it did dishearten Morgana a bit.
"Y-yeah… I'm with Izuku on this…" Ryuji relented, the green haired teen slowly looking up at the faux blond. "We'll find another way to take him down… killin' Kamoshida wouldn't sit right with me, either…"
"Like I said, it only runs the chance of happening!" Morgana breathed in frustration, now a bit remiss that his idea was suddenly being shot down by both teens. "It's not a clear cut thing!"
"E-even if it isn't, it's not worth it…" Izuku shook his head, looking away from the cat. "I-I won't be a villain… just because I can't be a hero…"
Morgana bit his bottom lip and let out a rather cat like hiss of annoyance. "Fine! I can't believe I came all the way here just to hear this…" he snapped, turning around and taking his leave of the two. "I'm going to be sticking around for a bit… if you two decide in the next couple days that you're willing to do what needs to be done, let me know."
"H-hey, wait!" Ryuji called out, only for Morgana to run down the stairs before they could stop him. Ryuji bit his bottom lip and sighed, shaking his head. "How the hell does he expect us to contact him? Well… I guess that's that. I mean, I wouldn't mind the change of heart thing so much, but… killing him…"
"The change of heart was difficult enough to look at from a moral standpoint…" Izuku admitted quietly, shaking his head. "But to kill him would be… too far."
"Yeah…" Ryuji agreed, letting out a sigh of defeat. "Listen, we haven't completely lost yet. Nijima-sempai said she'll be checking in with the principal. And tomorrow, I'm gonna take a crack at Takamaki again and her friend, Suzui."
Izuku blinked, the name immediately catching his attention. "S-Suzui-sempai? How is she..?"
"You know her?" Ryuji asked with a bit of surprise.
"N-not really, we only just met in the hall." Izuku admitted, scratching the back of hs head. "B-but she was really nice to me… even tried to make me feel better about the rumors going around…"
"Yeah, Suzui's always been a nice girl." Ryuji nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I've known her as long as Takamaki. But apparently now there's a rumor going around about her and Kamoshida now. I know I haven't seen much of 'em lately, but I don't believe for a second that bastard is either of their types, ya know?"
"Yeah… I see what you mean…" Izuku nodded slowly, hoping that the kind girl from before wasn't completely mixed up in all of this like the other students. "Th-then we should talk to them both soon as possible. Takamaki-sempai might be more open with us if we try again."
"Sounds like a plan. Not that we had many other options." Ryuji gave said, giving a weak laugh in response before pulling his bag tighter against his shoulder. "Well, I'm gonna head out. I have to pick up some groceries for my mom on the way home. Not much else we can do here, anyway."
"O-okay, I'll head out with you, at least..." With little else to discuss, the two left the school, their walk together relatively silent. Izuku knew that their options were limited. That the easiest out to all of this would likely be the change of heart. But to go that far and possibly kill Kamoshida? That was a dangerous line to cross. It wasn't unheard of for heroes to kill in times of necessity, but was this really the only option left to them? Izuku just hoped he wouldn't become that desperate.
Izuku had bid his goodbye to Ryuji, departing from the faux blond at the convenience store. Hoping to distract himself from the previous discussion, Izuku busied away at his phone, looking up any local hero stories that might have happened during the day. It was the best he could do at this point, hoping to put his mind at ease over everything he had heard.
"Mount Lady makes her television debut… Endeavor makes questionable move in stopping robbers… illegal Quirk user and self proclaimed idol Pop Step escapes authorities again…" Izuku mumbled to himself, going through the article titles in hopes of finding something that would catch his eye. Releasing a sigh, Izuku stuffed his phone back into his pocket. "It's no use… I'm just not in the mood…" He muttered, walking down the stairs that led to his train's gate.
"I already told you no! I-I'm not feeling up to it, okay?!"
Izuku blinked as he heard a familiar voice shout, glancing sideways and blinking to see Ann Takamaki standing a few meters away, phone to her head as she stomped her foot in frustration.
"Wait, what?! That's not what you said! You promised that… and you call yourself a teacher?!" The volume of her voice raised, enough to make Izuku almost flinch back. He knew he shouldn't be listening in, but the moment he heard teacher, it was easy to guess who Anne was talking to.
"You can't bring her into this! Shiho hasn't-" Ann complained, only to be cut off again as the line went dead. Tears threatened at the edge of her eyes, the blonde biting her bottom lip as she crouched and smothered her face in her arms. "No… Shiho…"
"T-Takamaki-sempai…" Izuku found himself calling out, nervously shuffling forward. Ann jumped at hearing her name, quickly wiping her eyes and standing up from her crouched position, glaring at Izuku.
"Were you eavesdropping?" She asked in a dangerously low tone, Izuku gulping as he nervously tugged at his collar.
"W-w-well-I mean… you we-were kind of loud and… I couldn't help but…" Izuku stuttered out his excuse, having trouble thinking of an out right on the spot.
"It's none of your business!" Ann snapped loudly, her volume causing Izuku to flinch back again. Seeing his reaction, Ann quickly felt a bit of guilt fill her, releasing a tired breath. "I'm sorry, I… I shouldn't have yelled like that."
Izuku was a bit surprised that Ann had apologized, but was quick to overlook her anger and nod. "N-no, it's okay… I'm sorry that I eavesdropped…"
"Yeah…" Anne nodded numbly, rubbing her arm. "How much… did you hear?"
Izuku considered his words carefully, not wanting to set Anne off again by bringing up something stupid. "Well… I heard you were talking about a teacher, and… Suzui-sempai…"
"Shiho…" Ann wilted as she said her best friend's name, gaze falling to the ground. "Just… pretend you didn't hear anything, okay? You heard nothing…" She mumbled out, wiping away a new wave of wetness in her eyes. She didn't bother to say any more, deciding to turn around and run off.
"T-Takamaki-sempai!" Izuku called out, reaching forward with one hand. She had dashed off toward the center of the station, Izuku faltering a bit as he watched her. He wasn't sure what to do at this point. Was it really his place to butt into her personal life? Then again, the cause of it was the same cause of a lot of other people's pain at the moment.
"Yellow line is now arriving."
Izuku looked back at the tracks to see his train pulling in. Glancing back toward where Takamaki ran off, he sighed and turned back to the bus. "I-it's not my business… I-I shouldn't meddle in it…" He told himself, snapping his eyes shut as he felt himself move forward. He thought that he was moving the right way, only peering out of his eyes through the cracks. "It's not my business…" He muttered again as he took one more step forward, now standing directly in front of the doorway. He spared one final look back at the stairs he saw Takamaki descend, biting his bottom lip. "D-damn it!" He cried out, pulling his bag tighter on his shoulder before dashing forward and hoping to catch up.
Ann wasn't sure why she ran away from the first year student like that. It had little to do with him in the first place. She couldn't just share her emotions with someone she met only days ago and barely talked to. He wouldn't be able to understand her. He was probably judging her like everyone else did. Sizing her up like most boys would. Looking at her like she was some sort of piece of meat that-
"T-Takamaki-sempai…" Ann blinked her eyes open, standing up from her crouched position in front of a support beam. She quickly turned around and wiped her eyes, giving a weak glare as she looked at Izuku.
"Wh-what do you want?! Why are you following me?!" She asked with a more aggressive tone than she intended, but nonetheless stuck with it. She watched the green haired teen wilt a bit under her scrutiny. Surprisingly, he seemed to gather his courage and shook his head.
"B-because… you look like you… could use someone to talk to…" Izuku lamely excused, his words causing Ann's eyes to widen slightly before turning her head away.
"J-just leave me alone… stop acting so concerned… like you care…" Ann bitterly mumbled, trying to get the green haired teen to back off. Her resolve weakened as she felt another swell of emotions, unable to hold back a light sob as well as some water in her eyes that she quickly wiped away.
"W-why don't we… go somewhere else and talk?" Izuku offered meekly, Ann turning back to him slowly to look in his eyes. She wanted to blow him off, to tell him that she just wanted to be left alone. But the sincerity in his eyes, the concern in his expression, the kindness in his words. All of it disarmed her for a moment, Anne's vulnerable state causing her to fold.
"... What's wrong with you?" Ann muttered out, turning her head away from him again as she sniffled. "... fine, just… lead the way…" Ann mumbled, turning so she could follow after the green haired teen. Izuku didn't say anything at first, turning around and moving forward. Anne wasn't sure how far or long they walked for, just keeping her eyes at his feet and being subconsciously mindful of where she stepped. They went up several stair cases before finally leaving the station, Ann now recovered enough to look up and see where they were going. Izuku led her down Shibuya's main street, taking her to the Big Bang Burger.
Ann took a seat while Izuku spoke to a waitress, only waiting a moment before he sat down across from her. It was silent after that, the blonde teen feeling no need to go along any further than she had already. Thanks to the little time before arriving, she had been able to reign in her emotions a little bit. But still, she wasn't so put together yet that she would up and leave. Midoriya had shown her quite a bit of concern, after all.
"T-Takamaki-sempai… are you..?" Izuku finally spoke up after letting the silence linger. Anne shifted her eyes to look at him, crossing her legs.
"I have nothing to say… it was just an argument." Ann answered shortly. Izuku only watched her with sympathetic eye, giving a nod of acceptance. She could at least appreciate the fact that he wasn't going to press the issue.
"Here are your drinks." a server announced, bringing two cups of ice water to their table and setting them down.
Ann needed something to distract her, reaching forward and messing around with the straw of her cup. She then brought it up to her mouth and absentmindedly bit down on the straw, immediately cutting off the top piece. Anne blinked for a moment before her cheeks became a bit rosy with embarrassment, looking up at Izuku who stared with wide eyes in shock.
"S-sorry about that… um…" Ann cleared her throat and waved over her waiter. "Um… excuse me but do you guys have any… metal straws?"
The waitress blinked for a moment before giggling. "Let me guess. Your Quirk?"
"Y-yeah…." Ann admitted quietly, scratching the back of her head.
"No problem. I'll bring it out for you." The waitress nodded, turning around and taking her leave. Anne sighed before looking at Izuku, the green haired teen quickly trying to look like he wasn't staring.
"My Quirk is pretty dumb. My teeth are all basically like razors and I can chew through almost anything." Ann explained, opening her mouth slightly so he could see her teeth. From a distance, they looked like everyday white teeth. Leaning forward though, Ann knew people could see the small outlines around each tooth that looked like a blade. "My tongue is pretty tough too since it can basically ignore the blades like nothing, but apparently it's not made of any metal I guess. Still though, it can be a pretty big pain when I'm trying to eat more delicate food."
"I-I see… that's pretty amazing…" Izuku admitted, holding his chin in thought. "H-have you tested what exactly they can and can't cut through?"
"Well, to be honest, if I try hard enough I can actually bite through metal too." Ann explained, smiling a bit as she allowed the topic to distract her. "But it's a lot easier to notice if I'm starting to bite through metal than it is plastic." she chuckled a bit, allowing herself a small, reminiscent memory of when she first tested out her strange Quirk. She was no older than five when she first developed it and began chewing on many things just to see how it would work. "Of course, it's no big hero Quirk. It has its uses like when I'm pigging out, but that's about it."
"N-no, I think it's a great Quirk." Izuku shook his head, offering a small smile. "Th-though, I can see why it might be inconvenient. Have you… ever eaten-"
"A fork?" Ann asked, a small knowing smirk on her lips as she watched Izuku nervously laugh. "Only about… four times. My parents got really pissed when I did it at a nice restaurant once. But don't ask about chopsticks. To my shame, I've tried to not keep count of how many I've chewed through those." She explained, the memory bringing a small laugh out of her, one that Izuku joined in on.
Ann liked this. A small moment where she was able to think about something other than Kamoshida or the troubles that came with him. Even at school it was the dominant thought going through her head. But thanks to a little bite of her straw, the two of them were able to talk about something far less troubling. She might not be sure what Izuku was after by doing this, but she nonetheless appreciated it.
And that was why she decided to be honest.
"... What you said before. About how I look like don't like being anywhere near Kamoshida." Ann spoke again, her tone more solemn now, "You were right… I don't like being near him. In fact, I hate him."
Ann only gave a small glance Izuku's way to see his reaction. He was silent, but his eyes were wide, obviously paying close attention. She saw this as a sign to continue.
"People think that we're dating… that I've even slept with him… but that's completely wrong." Ann muttered out, reaching forward and grabbing a napkin on the table. "I've only been giving him the light of day because… because of Shiho, my best friend. But now…" Tears started to build up in her eyes again, the very idea of it making her sick to her stomach. "Kamoshida, he… he told me to go over to his place today… You know what that means…"
Ann shuttered at just the idea of becoming so intimate with the perverted teacher, gripping the napkin in frustration. "I don't want anything to do with him! But I… I can't ruin Shiho's chance!" she began to weep again, biting her bottom lip. "S-so please… tell me… what am I supposed to do?!" Ann pleaded, her emotions spilling forth as she poured her heart out to Izuku, watching as the green haired teen bit his own bottom lip, sweat starting to trail down his head. It looked like he wanted to say something, anything. Anything that would help Ann feel better. But Ann knew that it was unlikely he had a real answer for her.
"I… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to put that pressure on your shoulders." Ann apologized, sniffling as she wiped away her tears again and gave him a small but thankful smile. "Geez… we have one little talk about Quirks and you get me to pour my heart out. You even listened to everything I had to say, even after I… treated you poorly."
Izuku forced a weak smile, trying to seem somewhat positive for Ann. "M-maybe it's because we're both… treated like outcasts?" He suggested with a shrug, his eyes falling to the table. "I-I've only been at the school for a few days, but… everyone looks at me like a criminal…"
"Yeah… you might be right about that." Ann nodded slowly in agreement, giving her own comforting smile. "But hey. If it makes you feel better, there's no way I can see you being as bad as all that. If anything, you're almost… the opposite of what I expected after hearing the rumors."
"Y-yeah, I've gotten that a few times…" Izuku chuckled sheepishly, Ann letting a small laugh escape her lips. Her thoughts quickly went back to their original topic, her smile fading back into a frown.
"I wish… there was another way I could help Shiho. That I could just… make Kamoshida change his mind and forget about me." Ann murmured to herself, not taking notice to the small flinch she elicited out of Izuku as she spoke. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have an awesome Quirk that changes people's minds, would you?" Ann humorlessly chuckled. Ann watched him blink for a moment in shock before he turned his head away in shame and gulped.
"N-no… sorry…" Izuku muttered, the blonde teen feeling a bit of regret in posing such a question.
"Hey, it was just a joke. Don't worry about it." Ann said, hoping to make him feel better. "That'd be too convenient anyway… but, hey. Thanks for listening. It… actually did make me feel a bit better." she spoke honestly, feeling a bit of weight lifted from her shoulders now that she had vented.
Izuku looked back up at her and gave another forced smile, nodding in acceptace. "I'm glad I could help you, even if only a little…"
"Yeah. It was pretty nice to let it all out." Ann returned the smile, though hers was more genuine. The blonde stood from her seat and grabbed her cup as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'm going to head home. I'm… not going to give Kamoshida what he wants. I'll think of another way to persuade him."
"O-okay then." Izuku nodded, remaining in his seat as she walked past his chair.
"And hey. Don't tell anyone about what I said, okay?" Ane reminded him, feeling the need to make sure that he knew it was a private matter. Izuku quickly nodded, which was enough for Ann. "Good…" She trailed off before realizing something, turning back to Izuku. "Hey, uh… I guess never formally introduced ourselves, huh? I'm Ann Takamaki, which I'm sure you knew by now."
"O-oh, I-Izuku Midoriya. I-it's nice to meet you…" Izuku stuttered out, offering a polite bow.
"Same here. It was nice talking to you, Midoriya." Ann gave him a small smile before turning around and finally taking her leave. Ann wasn't sure what exactly came from this talk. Whether they would be friends from now on or just passing acquantances due to a mutual understanding of one another. Either way, she was glad that Izuku decided to meddle.
Izuku half expected to be called to the Velvet Room in his previous night of sleep. He almost wished for it, in truth. He doubted that Igor or the twins would give him anything more than vague riddles about his fate, but he wanted to talk to somebody about his situation. But he hadn't been. He had texted Ryuji the previous night, but the faux blond couldn't offer anything more in terms of decision.
Originally, Izuku wouldn't doubt his decision to reject Morgana's offer. Going so far as possibly killing Kamoshida to stop him wasn't something a hero would do. Even the change of heart was a questionable act. To erase his distorted desires and leave him void of such feelings unethical. But at least it would have left him alive and the students no longer under his foot.
But Izuku's resolve was shaking again. After hearing Ann out the previous day, he was reminded just how much people were suffering because of Kamoshida. The physical damage, the emotional damage, all because of Kamoshida and his desire to be king of the school. Ryuji suffered from it, Ann still suffering from it. How many more people had to be hurt because of Kamoshida?
Izuku bit gripped his shoulder bag strap in frustration, clenching his teeth as he halted in the courtyard of the school. It had been a long morning and classes hadn't even started yet. Why can't… why can't a hero put a stop to this? He wondered in his frustration, but he knew the answer. This was a case far below their attention and paygrade. The police should be handling it. But that required a report from one of the students, proof of the acts. All of which Izuku didn't have to give.
"I see you're still stewing over it."
Izuku blinked his eyes open before quickly turning around, eyes landing on Morgana's cat form hidden in a nearby bush. "M-Morgana-san?!"
"I can tell how much trouble it's giving you. So you should just accept my offer so we can get started. The sooner the better." Morgana chuckled with a smug grin on his feline face. Izuku felt a bead of sweat form on the back of his head, sighing as he looked away from Morgana.
"T-there has to be another way…" Izuku muttered, though his answer wasn't very confident.
"Really? Because from the sound of it, neither you or Ryuji have a way out of this. You're smart, too. I'm sure if there was another way to handle this, you would have thought one up." Morgana pointed out, his words causing Izuku to flinch. The cat jumped out of the bushes, seating himself on the ground. "You only have one option left. And besides, his death would only result if we act carelessly. If we play our cards right, we-"
"M-Morgana-san! You're out in the open!" Izuku quickly reminded him, kneeling in front of the cat to make sure he was hidden from unwanted eyes.
"Ugh, open your bag then. As long as you keep a hole open for me, I should be fine inside."
"M-my bag?! B-but I can't just carry you around school like-" Izuku tried to reason before hearing nearby footsteps.
"Hey, did you hear a cat around here?" A teacher called out, the green haired teen tensing up but thankful the question wasn't directed at him. "There was a rumor going around that one was on campus, yesterday."
"Doesn't look like you have much choice. Come on!" Morgana urged. Izuku sighed in defeat, quickly unshouldering his bag and opening it up for Morgana. The cat slipped in easily enough, pushing his books and notes aside so he was comfortably in the center. "There we go. Now let's get going before you get caught with me."
"I'm not sure how I feel about this…" Izuku sighed, picking up the slightly heavier bag and slinging it back on his shoulder and heading toward the stairs.
"Now, back to our previous discussion. We only run a chance of killing Kamoshida." Morgana continued from inside the bag, his head only popping out a bit from the zipper. "That's if we mess up. If we do it clean and make a quick get away, we won't have to worry about his death."
"H-how can you be sure of that, though?" Izuku muttered in response, hoping he didn't look like the creepy kid who talked to himself. Not that it would really change the general opinion of him much. "I-If we mess up-"
"You have to be more confident, Izuku. I'm sure the heroes of this world have to worry about avoiding an accidental kill all the time. Do you see them dropping their capes just because of the risk of killing?" Morgana reasoned, the green haired teen blinking in response.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"Think of it. I'm sure that if used wrong, a lot of the Quirks in society are fairly lethal, which I'm sure is a major criteria of most hero class Quirks." Morgana began, feeling a small bit of confidence in his reasoning. "But the heroes of society know that and are able to keep themselves from doing such damage. They're careful with their powers. They know that one false move and it could mean someone's death. It's basically the same case with us. As long as we're careful and we make the right moves, we won't kill Kamoshida."
Izuku opened his mouth to argue, but could see the point in Morgana's argument. Izuku hadn't thought of it that way. The use of the Metaverse and the erasure of desires were much like the use of one's Quirk. If used correctly, it could do a lot of good. Despite the risk that comes along with it.
"But… is changing his heart really okay?" Izuku asked again, looking back at the cat with unsure eyes.
"Are his distorted desires more important than the suffering of the students he's torturing?" Morgana countered with a furrowed brow. Izuku knew the immediate answer to that, but couldn't say it for himself. He turned his gaze away and sighed as he climbed the final steps reaching up to the third floor. As he turned a corner to head to class, he caught sight of a familiar further down the hall. He stopped in his stride, widening his eyes as he realized it was Shiho Suzui standing there, an empty look in her expression.
"S-Suzui-sempai..?" Izuku muttered out, though his words barely audible to the older teen as she slowly moved to the stairs further down the hall. Why is she… going to the roof? Izuku thought to himself, gulping as he felt an anxious shiver go up his spine.
"Is everything alright?" Morgana asked in concern, the cat pulling Izuku from his thoughts. "You need to get to class, don't you?"
The first bell of the day rang above, Izuku blinking as he cast his gaze back at his classroom just a few meters down the hall. He turned back to where he saw Suzui ascend up the stairs, gripping his bag in fear. Normally he would be a little suspicious, but not afraid. It was Suzui's expression though that put a lingering sense of dread in him. Like she had completely given up. Like she was calling for help and no one was answering.
Izuku wasn't sure when he decided to, but his legs pushed him forward, heading for the stairs wordlessly. "Hey, where are you going?" Morgana asked, but Izuku didn't answer. He had to confirm it for himself. It could be nothing and his fear was unwarranted. Izuku hoped to all that was holy that such was the case. As he made his way up the stairs though, he felt the terror only grow in the pit of his stomach with every step.
"Hey… the door is open." Morgana pointed out, his own voice filled with confusion. He wasn't sure what Izuku was doing, but it seemed that he was now sharing a bit of the fear Izuku was feeling. Izuku took slow steps up the stairs, trying to be quiet enough so that he wouldn't be heard by anyone on the roof. Izuku wasn't sure why he decided to do that, but didn't question it for very long. Once the dim light of the cloudy day shined in his face, Izuku could finally see the whole rooftop thanks to the open door.
In an instant, Izuku's blood ran cold. His eyes became wide as plates and his skin paled white as snow. His breath became ragged and his voice was caught in his throat. Ahead of him, Izuku could see Suzui. She was currently climbing over the fence that gated the outer rim of the roof, landing with a thud on the edge.
"N-no way… is she..?" Morgana mumbled out, the cat equally shaken as he realized what was going on.
"M-Morgana-san…" Izuku mumbled out, slowly placing his bag on the ground so that the cat could jump out. "G-go. Go get Ryuji-sempai. He-he's on the second floor… Class 2-E."
"O-okay! Ju-just be careful, got it?!" Morgana told the green haired teen, not wasting another moment as he dashed down the stairs.
Izuku was now left with Suzui, alone. He had to think fast. Wh-what are my best options right now? I-I could sprint forward and try to reach out and grab her, pull her against the fence. But I would still have to convince her to climb back over on her own. M-maybe I could hold her in place until Ryuji-sempai gets here to help me hoist her over. No, I have to be careful in doing that. If I surprise her by accident I might end up causing her to trip! Not to mention the holes in the fence are narrow, so I might not be able to stick my arms through so easily! What do I do?! What do I do?!
Izuku couldn't bear waiting much longer, quickly dashing up the remaining stairs. "S-Suzui-sempai!" He called out, his voice causing the brunette to snap her head back and look at him.
"M-Midoriya-san..?" Suzui muttered, staring at him in confusion. The moment he took a step further, she took a step closer to the edge. "St-stay away!"
Izuku immediately stopped, not wanting to test the threat in any way. "S-Suzui-sempai, don't do this!" He called out, his eyes filling with desperate tears. There was nothing he could do from where he was. He had no Quirk to help him reach out. His Persona was unable to help him here. It was just him and Shiho.
"Wh-what are you doing up here?!" Suzui asked, her voice cracked from stress as tears started to stream down her face. "J-just let me go!"
"P-please, Suzui-sempai! You don't have to do this!" Izuku cried out, daring to take a single step forward. Shiho hesitated, thankfully not making a move toward the edge again but lingering close enough that Izuku was still completely shaken.
"You… you don't understand!" Shiho exclaimed, her hand gripping on the fence in desperation as she leaned her head against the twisted metal. "I just… I just can't take it… I want it to stop…"
Izuku knew immediately. He had lied to himself, hoping that Kamoshida hadn't gone so far, even against women. It was a sad lie to help get him through the night. "I-it's the abuse, right? Th-that Kamoshida is doing to the students? To you?" Izuku asked, his voice gentle albeit shaky as he spoke.
Shiho's eyes opened when he said that, shifting her head so that she was looking at him, her eyes looking tired and defeated. "S-so you know… you know what he's done? What he did?"
"N-not all of it… but enough…" Izuku explained, offering a reassuring smile in hopes to make her feel safer. Despite his tears and the trembling of his body, he smiled. He smiled like All Might would if he were here. "A-and we're going to take him down. M-me, Ryuji-sempai… we're going to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else…"
A small spring of hope seemed to fill Shiho's eyes, the brunette looking into his eyes, pleading that he was telling the truth. Izuku saw hope in that moment. But that hope quickly dwindled. Dark thoughts raced through her mind again, Shiho's eyes losing that light of hope almost as fast as it appeared.
"I-it doesn't matter what you do…" Shiho mumbled, leaning her head back against the fence. "Volleyball is all I'm good at… with that gone, then…. Then what's the point? Even if you take Kamoshida down… what does it matter?"
Izuku felt sweat beginning to pour down his face again. He was losing her. Izuku had to bring her back from the brink. He had to figure out a way to put her at ease. "N-no, that's… that's not true! Y-you don't need Kamoshida… you don't need him to keep playing!"
"Even if I don't… even if I… if I were to speak up against him, it won't change anything…" Shiho muttered again, slowly pushing off the fence and taking a step back from it. Izuku nearly ran forward at that, but restrained himself.
"I-it will! Y-you just have to tell them about the abuse… tell them about everything and he'll be done!" Izuku urged, at least taking another step forward. He was about three meters back from the fence. Even if he were to sprint forward though, the fence holes were too narrow. He'd likely have to struggle to get his arms through. By that time…
"Everything?" Shiho repeated, her eyes looking back up at Izuku. The void that Izuku saw in her irises caused him to gulp, like he was staring at a doll. "If I did that, then… everyone would know. Would know that yesterday, he… touched me. Everywhere."
Izuku froze at that, his face becoming paler and the smile of confidence he wore failing when he heard that. "N-no... he… he touched you… He went that far..?" He mumbled out, his body swirling with emotions. Anger. Guilt. Hate. Grief. Disgust. While he was struggling with what had to be done to stop Kamoshida, Shiho had been at his mercy. Suffered more than he could have imagined. More than he wanted to imagine, at least.
Shiho let out a mirthless laugh, causing Izuku to shake the emotions away for the moment. "You see? Even you… look at me with those eyes of disgust. They would all look at me the same way... I guess it's another thing I won't have to deal with, right?"
"N-no! S-Suzui-sempai, I'm not…" Izuku tried to argue, but his breath hitched as she turned around, facing the rest of the school. It was all or nothing. Izuku couldn't wait any longer. He had to try.
"Goodbye, Midoriya-san… tell Ann I'm sorry."
"Suzui-sempai!"
Ryuji ignored the throbbing of his leg as he sprinted down the hallway toward the stairs. Morgana had gotten his attention during class, thankfully, and he was able to convince the teacher to let him go to the bathroom. It was a good thing he got a headstart when he did, as it wasn't long after Morgana pulled him out that the rest of the school was becoming aware of Suzui's current state.
"Quick, up the stairs! We don't know how long Izuku can stall her!" Morgana urged, the feline running alongside him.
"Damn it, I can't believe-what the hell did he do to her?!" Ryuji cried out in anger, spinning on the balls of his feet and dashing up the steps. No one was around to block his way and the teachers were probably just now finding out about it like the rest of the students.
"We're almost there!" Morgana cried out as they made it up to the third floor. Ryuji twisted again so that he was up the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him. He made it to the middle of the steps before he heard it.
"AHHHHH~!"
Ryuji and Morgana froze, the scream having come from down the hall. More screams of similar nature echoed around them, Ryuji feeling sweat drip down his face. "N-no… it can't be…" He muttered before quickly sprinting up the stairs again, swinging the half open door out of his way. "Izuku!" He called out before freezing completely.
Morgana climbed up soon after, the cat's expression becoming sullen at what he saw. "Oh no…"
Izuku was on his knees with his hands gripping at the fence desperately, serving as the only support that kept him from falling on the ground. The green haired teen was sobbing uncontrollably, tears and drool slathering the ground in front of him as he choked out inaudible words, his head dipped low.
"I-Izuku..?" Ryuji called out, the sight almost causing him to cry on its own.
"I-I-I… I'm s-s-sorry… I-I… I-I c-couldn't save her…"
To be continued…
So, yeah. That got pretty dark at the end, there. Though it was pretty dark the way it happened in the game as well. This chapter turned out longer than expected, but I didn't want to cut out the final part. It wasn't something that I wanted at the beginning of a chapter, but at the end.
I wanted to get Izuku's struggle with the change of heart down as best as I possibly could. Honestly, I hope I did it right. Izuku's a true hero, through and through. The change of heart is a morally questionable action, but… at this point, very understandable.
Putting Izuku through that ending though was… kind of cruel. But I would say it is almost necessary. Necessary for what's coming next. Not much else to say on the matter except… damn.
I had actually originally intended for Izuku to save her, but after talking with some friends on it… this actually made sense. Reality is cruel. And it's hard to understand what goes through the mind of someone that close to the edge. I've never been there, and I don't know what would be the right thing to say. Neither has Izuku, even through the main series of MHA. It was a brand new, albeit terrible, experience for him.
Anyways, that's the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed and are ready for what comes next. Please leave a review, a favorite and a follow.