Chapter 1: Begin
October 12th XX43
Almost every roof in South Mustuafu was permanently ingrained in his mind. He had run from roof to roof so often that he knew most neighborhoods and how they bled into cityscape and office buildings. He jumped from roof to roof in a mesmerizing motion of run-jump-roll-run-run-jump-jump-roll- watch for the chimney-run-jump-jump—a never ending chain of movements that rolled off him in waves.
Two years of living in the roof of the abandoned Chang'e shrine had led to some weird-ass interactions with some odd people, but even with that, nothing prepared him for a (homeless?) man standing on the edge of the next roof over like a gargoyle. The boy stilled, uneasy, creeping to the edge of the roof to spy what the man was looking at. A group of drunken men, apparently, loudly harassing a young woman that Izuku had missed.
This is why Granny Uchu calls him a space-case, not even noticing that poor woman. The men started getting louder, cornering the woman—Izuku winced, not sure what to do. A blur caught his eye, he turned just in time to see the (probably not homeless?) gargoyle man leap from the roof onto the one of the unsuspecting men below, wind catching the gargoyle's hair and scarf. Surprisingly enough, the scarf that had been around the man's neck and shoulders lifted and wrapped around one of the drunken men, perfectly incapacitating him.
Izuku blinked.
'well, you don't see that every day. I wonder if he has a telekinetic quirk. Cool~.'
-o-
October 12th XX43
Aizawa pretended to ignore the kid on the roof right behind him. The small body keeping up, but not following him. The silhouette behind him fading in and out of his peripheral vision became a second thought when he noticed the poor woman, her hair being pulled by the equivalent of grown, drunk, schoolboy bullies. When he got back to his rooftop, the child was gone, hopefully back home (but probably not).
-o-
July 2nd XX45
He was not expecting to ever be back in this neighborhood, but here he was in lower Mustuafu, where the thugs and the dealers ran rampant. The lack of heroes or officers was not surprising, to say the least-neighborhoods like this always needed the help the most and were avoided like the plague. He used to patrol here more, but the last two years had him in the more popular part of town, closer to Tokyo and UA than the more... dangerous side of town. Aizawa had been told to investigate the "Suspicious Vigilante Activity" in the area, like a *possible* Vigilante was more important than the blatant criminal activity happening on the daily. 'Disgusting' was the only thought to pass through his head when the official call had been made.
He lifted his phone, "Crap, one o'clock sharp. Out here for two hours and still no sign of any 'Vigilante Activity' shit."
Guiding his feet to the tallest edge of the building, maneuvering around fire escapes and an oddly placed garden box, he hunched himself in a comfortable shadow to observe the neighborhood while he rested.
strong summer night air blew past his face, a shift in the shadows alerting him of a presence. He saw a silhouette out of the corner of his eye. Aizawa raised his scarf to defend against an attack but there was no one there, only breeze and clouds hovering above the buildings in front of him.
A shiver passed down his spine when he saw it again, a shifting, swaying form, just out of sight. The shadowed figure seemed to look him in the eyes, making a chill of unease trail down Shota's spine. He stood up and lunged himself forward to chase, the figure slipping down the backside of a building—down the rabbit hole—just out of sight. Aizawa trailed at full speed, the figure nearly his height—adult or teen? — moved in a fluid practiced movement, leading him to an unknown place. Whether or not it was a trap, he was going to get this punk before the night was up. Gripping a roof's edge he threw himself feet first towards a fire escape, rolling midair and catching himself with a shoulder roll.
Every time he followed the silhouette to the street below, he saw them jumping on a roof, some distance away, like he was teleporting when he was just out of sight, or maybe he was just a remarkably practiced parkour champ. Either way, Aizawa was always behind the figure, much to his growing irritation. When the figure vanished, this time for good, Aizawa was panting and holding his knees in front of the Chang'e shrine. The old abandoned shrine shone like a different world under the moonlight, and frankly, it gave Aizawa the willies. He called it a night, sloping into the shadows and disappearing into the dark.
-o-
Aug 6th XX45, 11:00pm
Every day for the past month had been identical. No matter where he starts the evening, he always, always ends up at the Chang'e shrine. He tried going closer to Tokyo for a week, and every evening he ended up in south central Mustuafu with aching lungs and no success. He tried looking around the shrine every time he came by it, he asked the locals frequently and always got the same response, "Don't mind the Chang'e Rabbit, he means no harm." and it all came to the frustrating conclusion that 1) It's actually a spirit and Aizawa has been high for the past month, or 2) the logical choice: This fucker has a damned unregistered teleportation quirk and is annoying him for fun.
Either way, if he doesn't get something more soon, he'll drop the case and call it good. Disappointing, but Isn't everything?
He latches his apartment door that evening, being careful of kitty paws.
"Might as well save the punk some time," Hizashi had reasoned earlier that week when Aizawa had broken down and asked for advice. Aizawa started churning Hizashi's idea in his mind as he walked down the apartment building stairs. If the "Rabbit" wants Aizawa to go to the shrine, then Aizawa will go to the shrine.
He gives an audible sigh, his mind exhausted from staying up all day to deal with the first-year punks, and now having to face the creature that was currently occupying his time.
He walks a relaxed pace for a block or two, before climbing a nearby roof and starting his run south, keeping an eye on the streets below.
Starting at the shrine was an unexpected, but apparently useful tactic. Hizashi would get a Frappuccino in exchange for his advice. He earned it.
A block from the shrine is the second time he has ever heard the figure play their Fue, the first time, as he recalls, was a warning when Aizawa tried to sneak up behind them and got promptly kicked in the face before he could register anything more than a pink hoodie. This time though, instead of a sweet tune turned 'War Cry', the figure is sitting on top of the newly refurbished roof of the shrine, the Fue in their hands crying a melancholy tune. The figure was half crouched, one leg dangling from the roof, holding the small flute to his mouth.
Here was the hard part, though: what next?
-o-
Aug 6th XX45, 11:33 pm
Mr. Gargoyle changed his approach, it seemed. Starting at the finish line seemed like a cheap trick to Izuku, but if it worked, it worked.
Not being legally documented (or legal at all) from birth to daily deeds (generally) made his life harder, but it was a lot less nerve wracking when you were confronted. Granny always said, "under their nose, or in sight? The better option is being unknowable." but she was cryptic and a little crazy. Best to take her word with a grain of salt. Or the whole salt lick, depending.
Mr. Gargoyle just looked at him, still as a statue in the shrine's shadow, clearly unsure what to do. Izuku could do nothing but heartily agree with the man's hesitant approach.
"Nice to see you again, Mr. Gargoyle." Izuku shifted. So much for going for a hesitant approach, Izuku. It was safe to say that he had no idea what he was doing, who he was talking to or where to go from here. His only safe guard was his sweaty palms and Granny's advice: 'Eye's, Throat, Solar Plexus, Nuts."
Which, yeah. That could work.
Maybe not what he should do,but it ostensibly could work.
Izuku and the man stared at each other for a while until Izuku realized it might be better to offer a seat. In the light of flickering street lamps and a smiling moon, Izuku could see raise his eyebrows when Izuku scooched over and patted the space next to him.
The only response Izuku got was the man jumping to grab the edge of the roof and flipping up next to Izuku with practiced ease.
Rummaging through his terribly large hoodie pocket produced a number of items except the one he was looking for, and with only a little space between the two awkward individuals, Izuku ended up handing a handful of items to the man next to him as he searched.
Several candy wrappers, a couple rocks, his fue, and cool feather later Izuku fished out a paper baggie.
A hand covered by a pink hoodie sleeve offered the bag to the older man.
"Granny made you a snack," Izuku said-as if it explained everything and was not weird at all. It must have made so uncomfortable. Panic Initiate! Of course it was weird that you offered a bun to a man who's been chasing you everyday for a month! No-duh. That's clearly awkward as all hell and no wonder he's looking at you like you kicked his dog-
"Thanks, I think." was pinching his brows together as he grabbed the offered bag, "Your Granny?"
Izuku could feel the embarrassment in his ears, "Yeah, my Granny."
He turned his head to look away from the scruffy gargoyle next to him. Across the street Izuku could see street lamps and the occasional passerby with their hood up. The boy could feel the stare was giving him. Wind whistled past his ears and Izuku made a decision.
"Do you want to do a trade?" Izuku tilted his head back to his company, the man responding with a questioning grunt-his mouth was too full to respond.
"I hope that's a 'yes' because I don't want to even try to translate the sound that came out of your mouth." Izuku moved again, this time turning to face fully. His eyes wandered down to the space next to the man's foot, where the items he handed the man were put. Moments passed where Izuku thought and panicked while the grown man munched the last of the homemade steam bun.
Behind his scarf asked,"What kind of trade? I don't think I have much to give you."
"I was thinking... your name for a question? That might not be a good deal but it's the best I can come up with short notice," Izuku was being painfully awkward. Hunched on the roof of his camp, talking to a dangerous stanger, trying to make deals with said dangerous stanger and trying to sound confident and cool really don't mix. Izuku wanted to cry.
"Sure," was the unexpected response Izuku received,"but I get to ask the question first,"
"Deal, I guess, ,"
Maybe had been rehearsing a question, maybe not, either way there was no hesitation when he asked it, "Why 'the Chang'e Rabbit'', I mean, I think I understand how that all ties in to the theme: Help, Heal, Guide, Sacrifice. Very valiant, a good cause." The man slips to a more comfortable position and the light hits his scarf so Izuku can see what else is around his neck. "But, really? There has to be at least a hundred other stories you could compare yourself to,"
They make eye contact for a split second, Izuku with newfound nerves and the man with genuine confusion. It takes a moment for Izuku to shake his thoughts from his mind and to actually understand the question.
His head tilts, "I guess I never thought about it, It was as easy as 'Is found at Chang'e Shrine, is a rabbit." He looks at the illuminated man.
The man looks back, squinting as if he was translating what the boy said, "'Is a rabbit'?"
The boy's eyes widen a little, he nods "Is a rabbit,"
somehow squints harder and it takes a minute for Izuku to remember his hood is still up. He tilts his head back for the hood to fall and all that is visible for a moment is a mop of green curly hair
But that's when he sees it, two black ears from the top of a curly head and a very shy boy.
"Your question has been answered I think," false confidence wavering, "Can I have your name now, oh great Eraserhead?"
(Notes: This is being cross-posted from Ao3! hope you enjoy it here as much as the other peeps enjoyed it there. I will leave content warnings for each chapter but let me know if there is ever anything I missed. leave a review if you loved it 3)
