It started as a tapping. Little flicks against the glass shielding Akatani from the outside. As the sky darkened with storm clouds, however, the spears of water became thicker. Rain now rattles the windows as the droplets yell at him. He doesn't know if it's some sort of animalistic instinct, but it almost sounds as though nature is warning him. The world is trying to tell him something. Something that he would only know soaked by the cold touch of darkness and not hidden away in the warm comfort of Anteiku. He remembers what it's like. Water running down his face like tears. His hair matted and damp. Clothes drenched. The blood pouring down on him like the rain and the only difference between the two being one's cool sting versus the other's warm stick.

Akatani shakes his head to clear away those thoughts. The urge to feel the liquid on his skin again still lingers. The desire to taste it. He runs his tongue along his chapped lips, suddenly aware of how dry they are. Akatani drinks some of the coffee that he's supposed to be selling, hoping that it'll be enough to quench his thirst. He hopes that the only reason he's parched is because of the monsoon right outside the cafe.

The ghoul knows that's not the truth though. That's just an excuse. Akatani knows what's actually happening. He hasn't told Eraserhead. He's not quite sure he wants to even admit it to himself. The erasure meals aren't working. They do. For a while. However, it's a more temporary fix than previously presumed.

There are two problems. The first is that he's not satisfied with regular food anymore. He had thought having his tastebuds returned to normal would be the best thing that could happen to him, but it's comparable to having vegetables when he could be enjoying a big slice of chocolate cake. His mouth has developed a craving for flesh. The second issue is a much more concerning matter. Akatani is fairly certain that the erasure has only been increasing his appetite for flesh and blood.

Eating an average meal does satisfy his hunger just like any other person. However, just like any other person, he gets hungry again later. Except, it seems his hunger is tenfold. He no longer feels famished, but very much starved. He's been checking the clock during his shifts and he's also willing to bet that the intervals in between meals before he gets hungry again has been drastically dropping in time. It went from losing minutes to hours.

Akatani's nails dig into the counter like a set of claws, scratching at the wood. He feels like a caged animal. He's suddenly aware of how trapped he is. The pounding on the window is the wild stone jungle he'd familiarized himself with as a hunting ground. Now he waits for his meals to be brought to him and served. He impatiently growls, teeth gritted and grinding.

Aizawa hadn't shown up for lunch. Which is annoying. Yet, he understands the man teaches at U.A during the day. It's excusable and understandable. What's as frustrating as it is equally concerning is that the underground hero should be able to manage bringing dinner during his nightshift. Akatani checks the clock again. Eraserhead is running late. He's never late, and this is by far later than usual if there is such a thing as late.

The rainstorm suddenly feels like a much worse omen than it previously did. If the ghoul really does have such a thing as instinct based on nature's weather, then that means something bad must have happened. Akatani starts mulling over the possibilities for Aizawa's tardiness. It could be something as simple as his duties being a teacher. Perhaps he had to hold a student after class or the principal called for a meeting. Maybe Eri needed tending to. Akatani would be forgiving of the man's tardiness if the reason is parenthood for his technically adopted sister. The worst outcome comes to mind as well though. There's a chance that something bad happened. Eraserhead is an underground hero who fights criminals and villains alike.

Akatani's pupils contract. Red veins begin to stem from his eyes. He stares hard at nothing in particular, an angry glare he wishes he had something to fixate on. The pressure of his fingers pressing into the cashier counter start causing it to splinter, nails carving into the wooden structure. His heart beats in his chest like a drum, loud enough to be the thunder that the storm outside is missing. The ghoul begins to worry about the safety of the pro hero who's taken Eri under his wing. If Aizawa is in danger, the protective older brother worries that his sister could be in trouble by extension. Akatani seethes through his teeth, biting back a feral shout that he wishes he could direct at whoever dares endanger Eri.

The door chime brings Akatani back to reality, his mind reeling with his body as he jumps back. When he releases his grip on the counter, wood shavings fly up in the air with his hand. His pupils dilate until they're back to normal and the veins bulging from his eyes recede just as quickly. His flow of black hair whips to the side when he turns his head to see who entered the shop, the locks still covering one side of his face.

He's surprised to see Naomasa instead of Aizawa, the detective's overcoat drenched from the monsoon. Judging by Naomasa's expression, the man is as equally disturbed as the boy. His rectangular eyes meet Akatani's, a solemn silence communicating what the boy already knows. Akatani would cry, but the storm is already shedding enough tears for him with its downpour of rain.

"Where's Eraserhead?", Akatani asks the question anyways. Though he knows the answer. Though he doesn't want to hear it confirmed. In his mind, rationally, there would be no other reason for the detective to come see him instead.

Naomasa looks off to the side, breaking eye contact. "There was .. an incident.", he begins. His words are slow. He's treading lightly, so as not to spook a wild animal. Akatani tenses anyways.

The wet squelch of the detective's shoes on the floor alerts Akatani to the man's attempt at subtly moving closer. When Naomasa sees the boy flinch back, he stops. The next few seconds that pass aren't quite a standoff. However, there is tension radiating between the two. It makes Naomasa hesitate. He's never sure of himself when in the presence of the ghoul. He never knows how to interact with a boy who's also capable of creating the crime scenes he's seen. "You don't have to come, but he's requesting to speak with you.", but those words must be the right ones to have said.

Akatani's visible eye widens, the green within glowing with childlike hopefulness. There's an unspoken stutter from the boy's end that he tries to cover up, but Naomasa notes it in his memory. When Akatani recovers, he speaks with a hardened resolve that doesn't quite make it to his gaze, "Take me to him."

Akatani had assumed the worst. The storm. Aizawa's absence. Naomasa's arrival. The unelaborated incident that the detective spoke of. It all pointed to another person leaving his life. Not just his, but Eri's who needs the underground hero most. He sighs to nobody in particular, frustration and relief blending like gasoline and water.

Now he's in a police cruiser headed for U.A. Neither of the two locations did he ever think he'd be in, let alone for the reasons that he is and will be. His gaze falls to his lap, not quite sure of where to look in the vehicle and unwilling to stare at Detective Naomasa. But he is, at the very least, still willing to speak. He wants to know more about what happened, even if he's already conjured up his own resolution in his head. "Does this have to do with the barrier being broken?", Akatani nervously fidgets with his fingers.

Akatani can feel Naomasa's eyes on him, the detective taking his eyes off the road momentarily to glance over at the boy. He had been kind enough not to stick Akatani in the back, allowing him to sit up front in the passenger seat. Something about the equal sitting up front is an assurance that this isn't an arrest. "Yes.. A group of villains broke into the USJ during a class trip there.", Akatani stops fiddling with his hands and lifts his head to return the detective's gaze upon hearing that. But Naomasa has already returned his attention to the road, saying the rest, "The barrier was a distraction for them to steal a schedule."

Naomasa's grip on the steering wheel tightens, "Aizawa's theory was right all along. You two were right to think something was suspicious." Akatani can sense the frustration coming from the man. Radiating in wafts of smell through his sweat, the ghoul picks up on Naomasa's feelings through more than just his words.

"You couldn't have known for sure. Don't blame yourself.", Akatani tries consoling the detective as best as he can without touching him. He's not up to a hug or anything and he doubts Naomasa is either. Especially considering they're in the middle of driving right now. But he does want to try to be of some consolation. He can tell that the detective is genuinely trying his best.

Naomasa huffs, not really valuing the boy's words. He does appreciate the gesture though, "Thanks, kid.", offering a small smile in return. Akatani can tell that it's fake, having utilized false faces before himself, but he doesn't say anything more.

When the unlikely duo finally reaches U.A, Naomasa leads Akatani to the medbay. Not the nurse's office. Where he's at is a room not likely meant for students. One reserved for overnight patients, with more severe or critical cases. Like Eraserhead. When Akatani sees Aizawa, he's not even sure that the man is the underground hero at first. So many bandages wrap Aizawa head to toe that his face is practically concealed in gauze.

Akatani's fingers curl into his palm, nails cutting into the skin of his hand that's now clenched as a fist. "Who did this to you?", he can't suppress the shaking in his voice as well as he can the tremors of his body. Luckily, the detective and the underground hero mistaken the reason as worry and not rage.

Naomasa sees Aizawa struggling to speak, so he hands the teacher a glass of water while answering for him, "They called themselves the League of Villains." Akatani's not sure if the next bit is a jab at him or if it's meant to be a joke, "Friends of yours?", but he takes the question rather personally of an insult.

"Can't say they are.", the venom in his tone has Naomasa swallowing at the same time Aizawa takes a sip of water. Akatani then momentarily redirects his attention, noticing a certain absence in the room. His head swivels left and right as he scours the area before asking, "Where's Eri?"

Having wetted his vocal chords, Aizawa takes the chance to answer that one. "Don't worry, she was here at the teacher's lounge with All Might.", Akatani's heart beats quicker at the mention of the number one hero, "She was nowhere near the attack."

Hearing Eri was under the care of the world's strongest hero puts Akatani at ease, but he quickly recovers from his starstruck stupor to emphasize, "Where is she now though?"

"With Hizashi–", Aizawa pauses when he realizes his mistake before correcting himself, "I mean Present Mic." Akatani inwardly beams at the mention of another hero, but doesn't let himself outwardly show any signs of excitement. Aizawa takes the stoic disposition as a sign of skepticism. "Don't worry. Mic is a close friend of mine. He can be trusted with her.", Aizawa purposefully doesn't mention Nemuri's involvement though. He's not sure how the ghoul would react to his little sister being watched by an R rated heroine. Not that Nemuri would influence a girl Eri's age.

Akatani allows himself to relax a little bit at that, knowing that Eri is safe. He suddenly feels like a storm drain, the downpour outside knocking him down into a cushioned seat at Aizawa's bedside. "Kid?", the wounded hero grunts when he tries to sit up. Naomasa also moves with a concerned demeanor. But Akatani waves them both off, dismissing their worries.

"Thank you.", he can tell that Aizawa is making a confused expression by the way the bandages around his face crease and fold, so he elaborates, "For not bringing her to the USJ." He's not sure what he would have done if Eri were harmed. Or worse..

"For what it's worth.. I'm glad that I didn't either.", Aizawa rests his eyes by closing them. His body sinks back into the cushioning of the hospital bed's mattress. He seems just as relieved.

Akatani then realizes just how exhausted each and every one of them truly are. Naomasa slumps into a chair on the opposite side of Akatani and Aizawa, almost defeated in tune. They both look like they've taken a beating. Akatani supposes Aizawa has in a literal sense. These are the two that he entrusted to Eri. It's not that he doesn't see they clearly tried, but..

Akatani starts to regret his decision. He regrets decreasing his activity as the ghoul. Maybe he would have noticed the significant decrease in villain activity leading up to a league of them. He could have potentially seen the attack on USJ coming and.. And maybe he would have participated in it. Akatani rests his head in his hands, the thought weighing heavily on him. He wonders if he actually would have been a part of the villain attack had Eraserhead not found him.

Not with Eri. He knows that if he hadn't handed her over to them, then he wouldn't have gotten involved with villains. He wonders if he would have become one without her though. He wonders what kind of path that he was on before. Naomasa called him a vigilante but Toga had called him a villain. According to society, there isn't very much of a difference between the two categories. If all he wants is to help himself to a huge meal like the Yakuza, then an entire class of students wouldn't have been a bad place to pick up from where he left off.

Akatani shakes his head, letting his hands fall from his face. He knows that he's not thinking rationally. That he's just hungry. It's his ghoulish cravings talking, not him. When he begins to starve, he doesn't care who it is that he devours, he'll just eat. Like when he ate his mother. He knows that if he hadn't met Aizawa, he would have just stuck to eating villains. Maybe the league would have been victims to the ghoul long before the attack on USJ could have taken place.

"Kid?", Aizawa's voice sounds distant. So far away that it's barely worth calling a whisper. "Kid?", but the repetition is a little louder that time. It's enough to pull Akatani from the depths of his thoughts so that he doesn't drown in the ocean that the storm outside had made. When he breaks the surface, he gasps for air.

He sees Aizawa and Naomasa staring at him expectantly. For what, he doesn't know. "Huh?", his breath hitches and he shivers from the cold that seems to have worked its way inside.

"I asked if you're hungry.", he certainly wasn't expecting to hear that. Aizawa's tone is as soft as his bloodshot eyes though. It's not accusatory. It's not harsh or reprimanding. The underground hero is genuinely asking out of concern.

Akatani's stomach growls in response, making him blush. He's not sure what gave him away before his body betrayed him, but he nods in embarrassed admittance. "Yeah, but you're in no condition to–", he tries denying the offer anyways since he knows the process is strenuating for the hero.

"There's some leftovers from the cafeteria that you can have. Naomasa can get it for you.", but Aizawa is quick to cut Akatani off.

"Sure.", Naomasa nods before pushing off with his knees to stand up, "Sit tight while I get you some grub, kid." His overcoat gets discarded, hung over the chair's back to dry, before he heads for the sliding door.

Akatani is about to make another attempt of refusal, but he doesn't have to when the nurse makes her entry from the other side of the door. He recognizes her as Recovery Girl, a short older lady who uses a cane to hobble in. "What's this I hear about using your quirk?", Naomasa is amazed by the woman's acute skill of deduction considering they didn't mention Aizawa's quirk per say.

The way that the elder heroine uses her cane as a third leg makes Akatani view her as a wounded animal, the limp mimicking the loss of a fourth limb. Despite her mild handicap, she still manages to close the distance between the entrance and Aizawa's bed rather quickly. "Didn't I tell you that you received damage to your eyes?", her tiny head shakes in disapproval as she starts to remove the gauze around his face, "I haven't even changed your bandages yet."

When Akatani sees the gnarly cut beneath the underground hero's right eye, he can't withhold a gasp. It's still healing, but it's sure to leave a permanent deep scar. For someone who's quirk relies on sight to function, the time of usage will no doubt diminish. "It's not as bad as it looks, kid.", Aizawa tries assuring the boy but his nurse wears an expression that says otherwise.

"Now is a critical time to be healing. It's best if you don't use your quirk for a few weeks, at the very least.", Recovery Girl gives her doctor's orders while applying a fresh clean set of bandages to hide the gash.

But Aizawa isn't persuaded. "The boy can only eat if–", he tries explaining Akatani's situation in defense of the situation.

But Akatani is quick to cut him off, "It's okay!" The outburst draws everybody's attention, making Akatani recoil and shrink in on himself. Knowing Eraserhead's health is on the line though, he can't allow himself to back down. "I- I'm not hungry.", so he lies.

"Are you sure? You shouldn't go weeks without eating.", Aizawa's bandages crease with concern. And despite Recovery Girl's care for her patient, she too shares that same sentiment.

Akatani stands up, nodding a little more forcefully than necessary, attempting to come across as confident. "I've done it before.", he turns to hide his face from them, forgetting that Naomasa is on the other side when he says the rest, "I would try not to eat for as long as I could." Akatani's eyes widen when he sees the detective staring at him in bewilderment. Whatever Naomasa saw, Akatani ducks his head down to cover up.

The boy slides his hands into his pockets, not wanting to fidget with them or ball them into fists. He feels in his pants the familiar leather mask of his ghoul persona. The thought of hunting on a rainy night is so alluring that he salivates a little. "So long as you continue to keep that restraint, then there's nothing to worry about.", Naomasa's voice draws his gaze back up. The detective is wearing a stern expression, but his eyes appear so trusting that it hurts to look into them for too long. Akatani averts his gaze.

He's been given a chance he doesn't deserve. They're willing to trust him. To rehabilitate him. And he's about to throw that all away. To be fair, they'd only been fooling themselves. They were on borrowed time before Aizawa's accident. Who they had been kidding, Akatani doesn't know. All he does know is that their way didn't work. He'd tried. He really did. But what he's done and what he's about to do is his fundamental nature.

The ghoul vows right then and there to find the one responsible for harming Aizawa, and to satisfy his hunger that way.

"You're going to be fine. Right?", Aizawa asks from behind him.

Akatani turns around to face the hero, beaming the brightest smile he can muster, teeth and all. "Yeah!", he enthusiastically lies again.