Izuku's POV
Things rarely changed when it came to their strange band of misfits. Echo and Charlie acted just as they had in the apocalypse when they were on the streets acting as vigilante. When they were alone they had begun to relax. Izuku constantly woke up to nightmares. It was to the point he was terrified of sleeping even when Echo and Charlie were nearby. Horrors of war and evil flashed behind his eyes.
While Echo and Charlie were adjusting to being in the past Izuku was not. He could not bring himself to relax even when it was just them. The closest he got to relaxing was when he trained with Katsuki.
The thought of his oldest friend had Izuku looking at the clock. His friend stayed at home the night before. This wasn't unusual as he couldn't let his parents know what he was up to at night. But he was supposed to be here tonight.
He was late. A sense of dread began to fill his stomach. Katsuki was never late. Izuku could count on one hand the amount of times the other had been late willingly.
His teeth ground together. Mitsuki and Masaru Bakugo were not the saints that some people thought them to be. Like Inko they tended to ignore their son. When they did speak to him it was to berate Katsuki. To call him a villain which was why he was so insistent on becoming a hero. He wanted to prove them wrong.
Unlike Inko Mitsuki would strike Katsuki if she thought he was out of line. Or even to simply release some tension. Other times she would put Katsuki in quirk suppressant gloves. The gloves were not meant for his quirk and could only be removed by someone else.
When it came to Masaru he focused on emotional abuse. He would tell Katsuki lies and blame him for what his mother did. It made Izuku hate them more than his own mother. At least he knew how much and why she hated him. She didn't pretend to care.
From what Izuku could tell she had been unusually kind. Or as kind as that bitch could have been. It was likely she was busy with her fashion business.
Izuku suddenly began to pace. His erratic movements had both Echo and Charlie watching him warily. They had only come back a few minutes before. They returned with much needed food but Izuku had yet to eat. He couldn't in good conscience eat without Katsuki. Not when he knew that the other was supposed to be here.
After a few moments even Orion was eyeing him uncertainly. They didn't know what his problem was. They didn't know Katsuki like he did. If they did then they would be worried too.
Orion tried to reason, "Kid you can't keep paying like this. You'll run out of energy before you even start patrol."
Izuku growled lowly, "I can't sit still. Katsuki is not late like this. Ever! He is so paranoid about being late that he'd rather be an hour early. Something is wrong."
Orion was about to retort. But a bang resounded from below them. It sounded like it had come from the main entrance. The one they had boobytrapped because there were more homeless people about and they were trying to break in.
Echo and Charlie lunged for their weapons. Izuku had already drawn his knife as he moved towards the main look out. His heart raced and adrenaline flew through his veins. Looking over the side he heard a strewn if curses from a very familiar blond.
"It's just Katsuki," he called out to the others. They glanced at him curiously but Izuku had already resheathed his knife.
A frown however marred his face as he headed down to Katsuki. The blond seemed to be struggling with something. The curses were becoming more and more violent with each passing second.
Izuku approached cautiously his eyes on the boy's hands. A flare of murderous anger flashed through him. On Katsuki's hands were the very gloves he had just been thinking about. A low growl escaped him.
He dropped to a knee before Katsuki and carefully began to unstrap the gloves. Even in the low light he could see the burns from his quirk. They had been on for too long, if he had to guess several hours to half a day.
Gently he pulled off the gloves so that he could look over the hands. Running his hands over the burns checking for reaction. There wasn't so much of a twitch. This wasn't good.
Izuku questioned, "Can you feel your hands? Or move your fingers any?"
Katsuki grunted, "Pins and needles to the middle of my palm. I cannot feel my fingers."
A wordless snarl escaped him. It made Katsuki flinched back his red eyes wide with surprise. That was it he was not allowing Katsuki to return to his parents house.
"Echo get Best Jeanist on the phone," he shouted up to the others, "Tell him I have an injured fourteen year old and need an emergency protective custody order."
Katsuki blinked at him in surprise. He didn't say anything else as he heard Echo's confirmation of the order. As Izuku stood he brought the other up with him. Charlie threw down his jacket and cowl to him. A few seconds later it was put on and he was ready to head out. All he needed was a location to meet Jeanist at.
Katsuki questioned, "You know Best Jeanist? I thought the only time you met him was in the future. When he saved you?"
Izuku replied listening to the muted words of Echo, "We met when he pulled me out from under burning rubble. I had been trying to save those stranded in the building. Much like your own debut as a vigilante."
Katsuki swallowed.
"He knows who I am," continued Izuku after a moment, "Instead of turning me over to the police he took me to his agency. The only thing is he doesn't know is about the time travel. He knows I'm after All For One he just doesn't know why. At least not yet."
Katsuki questioned, "Do you plan on telling him? Do you trust him?"
Izuku said honesty shining in his eyes, "I trust him with my life. I just don't know if he trusts me the same. "
Katsuki opened his mouth but Echo interrupted him, "Delta! Jeanist asks if it would be better to meet him in his office or if you want him to pick you up somewhere?"
It would be rough going if they went to the Genius office. It was in Tokyo. A glance at Katsuki's hands made him frown. He wasn't sure if that would be a good idea.
Izuku ran through the scenarios quickly and the consequences of them. Then he called back deciding to take the risk, "Have Jeanist meet us down the road as soon as he can."
Katsuki tried to argue, "I can make it to his office. You don't have to risk the safe house."
"Absolutely not," snapped Izuku, "Those burns on your hands are the worst I've seen. How long did that bitch keep you in those fucking gloves this time?"
Katsuki said reluctantly, "Since last night. I sparked off my hands and she had been sneaking by. When she saw it she forced the gloves on me. I can't text or use my phone with these damn things."
That was almost a full day! He was going to fucking kill her. This was not a threat but a promise. She would die by his hands.
Katsuki demanded growling low in the back of his throat, "Don't you dare. You cannot go after the League if you're in jail for murder."
"Watch me."
"Listen to me, Zuku," ordered Katsuki causing the green haired boy to raise an eyebrow, "If we are going to get back at her then it needs to legally."
Echo called down to them, "Jeanist will be there in ten minutes. Do you want us to go with you?"
Izuku took a deep breath as he pushed down his anger. This wouldn't help him here. He shoved the gloves into his jacket.
"No I'll take Katsuki to the meet up point. The rest of you eat and prepare for patrol. I'll meet up with you during patrol as soon as I can."
"Yes, Delta," came the sharp replies from the others.
With that he and Katsuki left the warehouse and went to the meetup point. It was only a few minute walk but he kept a tight grip on Katsuki. There could be more unseen damage. He wouldn't put it past the witch.
The two hid in the shadows as they waited for Best Jeanist. He should have thought to ask if he was coming via they alleyways or by car. It depended on how serious the man had taken the call in. There was also the chance that Jeanist could call the police.
His thoughts were interrupted by the streets being illuminated by headlights. Out of instinct he pushed himself and Katsuki further into the shadows. They didn't know if this was Jeanist or someone else.
The car stopped right at where they were supposed to be waiting. A familiar blond haired man stood from it. He stepped out of the shadows allowing Jeanist to see him. Katsuki only a hesitated for a second before following him.
Jeanist greeted absent-mindedly his main focus was on Katsuki, "Delta. Is this one who is injured? What happened? Was it a villain attack or something else?"
Izuku growled, "You could call her a villain but in terms of police. No it wasn't a villain attack."
Jeanist frowned but open the door to allow them to climb into his car. There was a driver in the front who ignored their presence. Soft words from Jeanist and the hero entering the car next to Katsuki had the car moving again.
Izuku pulled down his cowl but left his hood where it was. He checked the burns on Katsuki's hands and lower forearms. The sight made him wince. They were bad, one of the worst burns he had seen outside of war.
Gently he asked, "Katsuki can you feel your hands anymore than before?"
Katsuki shook his head mutely. He wouldn't even look at either of them now. All the confidence he was known for was gone. All the anger he had shoved down before was returning. Izuku was going to tear Mitsuki down to size. That he swore.
Upon seeing the burns Best Jeanist began typing into his phone. Izuku trusted the man with getting them the proper doctor. He would have the best resources to do so after all.
So Izuku returned his attention back to the burns. He pulled out an ointment he kept on hand out of his jacket pocket. Smearing a light amount over the burns with a careful eyes. Part of him now wished he had at least grabbed his bag. In it he had bandages and other healing ointments.
Katsuki questioned softly, "What is that?"
"Burn cream. Combat strength."
Jeanist's eyes shot over to look over at him shock in them. Discreetly he shook his head. No this was not the time or the place to ask about it. The hero frowned but accepted it. For now at least.
