Himiko wasn't waiting on the gantry when Midoriya returned. He stared on the space on the railings where she liked to sit, half-expecting her to appear. Term time had started again for the local universities. Maybe she had class?

Midoriya went inside. He could tell Himiko he had passed the next time he saw her. Maybe even show her his license, though he doubted she'd be very impressed- it was something sixteen-year-olds could do after all.

He showered and changed from the clothes he'd worn to the exam and into some fresh gym gear, unwrapping his knuckles. Still no Himiko- she was probably seeing friends.

He headed out on a run along one of his usual routes, down past the convenience store, and down by the canal. As far as nature went, Jakku didn't have much to offer, a few children's parks and whatever people grew in baskets in front of their houses, but the canal was an exception to that, grass growing lush and green either side, even as the water flowed oily and full of silt, polluted from the nearby industrial wards. Pretty much the only thing the canal had to recommend it was solitude- Midoriya could often go the length of the run without seeing another soul. But tonight, he saw one person.

Was that? Midoriya squinted, his run slowing to a walk. On the bench ahead sat a tall, slim figure, greying hair streaked with yellow. It looked like Sir Nighteye. But what would Sir Nighteye be doing in a place like this?

"Sasaki?" he called, not expecting a response.

The older man looked up, the low sun reflected gold in his glasses. "Midoriya," he said. "It's good to see you again."

"I passed the exam."

"I never had any doubt that you would," said Nighteye, simply, and Midoriya felt a swell of something like pride in his chest. "But I'm afraid this isn't a social visit."

"You were waiting for me?"

"People might be watching your apartment," said Nighteye, not denying Midoriya's question. "And this is a matter requiring utmost discretion."

Midoriya stepped closer to the seated man, lowering his voice. "A secret mission?"

Nighteye nodded seriously. "The other night, you might remember that Mirio feared that the Liberation Army sought to plant a spy in our ranks."

"He thought that could be me," said Midoriya.

"I believe the truth to be worse," said Nighteye, looking down momentarily, his expression wry. "There have been too many occasions on which the Liberation movement has pre-empted or predicted our movements, information that only members of the top ten would have access to."

"You're saying there's already a spy," said Midoriya.

Nighteye was silent, but he nodded slowly.

"That's terrible," said Midoriya. "We need to tell-"

"Stop," said Nighteye. "Think, Midoriya. If the spy knows that someone is looking for them, they will work harder to cover their tracks. And suspicion will sow discord amongst the heroes."

Midoriya looked down at his shoes. "What exactly do you want me to do?" He narrowed his eyes, pushing his hair back from his forehead. "I'm not even a full hero yet. What can I do that you can't?"

"You have a bond with at least one of the top ten," said Nighteye. "Two, if I'm not mistaken. You have their trust. That's closer than most people could ever hope to get. Get close to them. Find out all you can."

"You want me to spy on Kacchan?" Midoriya clawed at his face. "He can't be the traitor. I've known him since we were four years old." He looked up, shaking his head. "You have no idea what you're asking."

"Not spy," said Nighteye. "Investigate, and report back to me."

Midoriya ran the rest of the length of his route, Nighteye's warnings seeming to clamour in his head with every step. A spy, in the top ten, someone who was selling out the plans of the heroes. Setting them up to fail. He sped up, practically sprinting, his lungs aching. He thought of Kacchan, back in middle school, each strike of his feet against the pavement the strike of one of his bullies. Kacchan's voice was in his ears, telling him he was just a stupid Deku. A quirkless piece of shit who should give up and throw himself from the school roof if he knew what was good for him. But that had been middle school, Midoriya reasoned. Plenty of kids were terrible in middle school, and besides, Kacchan was a hero now. When Midoriya got back home there was a message on his phone from Todoroki.

did you want to go to a bar or something

Could Todoroki be the spy? Midoriya bit his lip as he stared at the message. Surely Todoroki wouldn't associate with the Liberation movement. But his quirk was strong, and he came from a family of strong quirk users. If Yotsubashi's quirk revolution actually happened, Todoroki would be near the top of the pile. He couldn't afford to rule it out.

Carefully, Midoriya typed out a reply, suggesting a hole-in-the-wall in a nearby district that people from Aoyama's hero agency sometimes used for outings. Todoroki agreed in his usual terse manner, and they arranged a time.

He changed again, this time into clothes that were less obviously ratty gym wear, his shirt a little tight across the chest. Had he gained weight? Midoriya ran his fingers through his hair and squinted at the half day-old green stubble on his chin before leaving the house and getting a train to meet Todoroki. He hadn't been downtown since he had lost his job, Midoriya realised as he walked past the neon storefronts. Hadn't had a reason to. What would he say to his former coworkers if he met them? Ms Yamagawa? He would buy them a drink, he decided. It had hardly been their fault he had been fired, after all, and they were probably picking up his work for him in his absence.

The rain started up when Midoriya was halfway to his destination, making the paving beneath his feet mirror slick, reflecting the vertical signage from above him in yellow and pink. Midoriya covered his head with his arms, dashing from covered awning to covered awning as the people around him on the street opened umbrellas to protect themselves from the rain. By the time he got to the bar, Midoriya estimated he would be soaked through. He scanned the street, looking for a better path, when he spotted Todoroki. The pro hero stood head and shoulders above most of the people, and his two-tone hair was uncovered, which only made him easier to spot. Midoriya waved.

"Here." Todoroki stepped towards him through the crowd, raising a black umbrella, easily big enough for two or three people.

Midoriya stepped under the shelter, grateful. "Thanks. How did you know I'd be out here?"

Todoroki shrugged as best he could while holding a large umbrella. "Call it a heroic instinct," he said, eyes not quite meeting Midoriya's. "My father always said that the first rule of being a hero is that one should be prepared for disaster in any situation."

They walked to the bar together, and Midoriya wondered why Todoroki had come to find him rather than wait inside. Some people stared, but no-one stopped Todoroki or asked him for an autograph, which was an improvement on the scene at the car-park that morning. Inside, the bar was much as Midoriya remembered it, dimly lit with wood panelling, three tables and the bar itself. The bartender was a lanky man named Katsugawa, whose quirk gave him excessively greasy skin.

Katsugawa nodded to Midoriya as he came in, his small eyes flashing with recognition as he noticed Todoroki. Midoriya stared at him hard, daring him to make a comment, but the man gave a small shrug instead, as if to say money's all the same to me. Midoriya ordered them drinks as Todoroki stood behind him, a small frown on his face, and they sat side by side at the bar.

"I don't drink much," he said, as Midoriya slid him a beer.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed. You asked to meet in a bar, so-" Midoriya pressed his fingertips together.

"That's okay." Todoroki stared down at his drink, his expression softening a little. "You know, I wasn't sure what we would do to celebrate, but drinking seems appropriate, doesn't it?"

"I think so." Midoriya nodded. "Thank you for inviting me out. And for everything."

Todoroki stiffened a little, sniffing the beer before raising it to his lips. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to see you get your license," he said. "I wanted to be there to congratulate you with Uraraka."

"You were dealing with your family stuff," guessed Midoriya.

Todoroki nodded. "Yeah."

"How did your sister take it?"

"She was pretty angry, I think." Todoroki frowned, taking another sip of beer and pulling a face. "Burnin's invoking a law that was designed to let animals with quirks like high specs become heroes. Says it means Ensetsu doesn't need parental consent. We're getting a lawyer."

Midoriya looked up at the television in the corner as it showed an advert for fruit juice, idols dressed as fruits dancing on a beach. "Ensetsu's a good kid," he said.

Todoroki's gaze was level. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He's determined. He already found a sponsor that let him apply. Even if you stopped him now, you'd only have so long before he got into a hero course."

"I want him to have a normal childhood," said Todoroki. He looked at Midoriya with a quizzical expression. "Is that so hard to ask?"

"I-" Midoriya paused, thinking of all the times that people had put him down, told him to bury his dreams at that age, and how much it had hurt. "All I'm saying is you should hear him out. I know he's just a kid, but that doesn't mean you get to control everything he does."

Todoroki's stare was intense, and Midoriya regretted trying to advocate for Ensetsu. All Todoroki was doing was looking out for his nephew. What right did Midoriya have to interfere?

"He has no idea what he wants," snapped Todoroki. "What it entails, the costs-" There was a wave of cold from the pro hero that frosted both of their beer glasses, and Todoroki pinched his nose, breathing in deeply. He'd only had one beer, but his cheeks were already flushed. "Dammit," he muttered, and the place warmed a degree or two. "Can't even control my quirk."

"I'm sorry-" stammered Midoriya, wide-eyed, but Todoroki shook his head.

"You're right, though. He's not a bad kid." Todoroki started morosely on his second beer. "I just wish he wanted to be a lawyer or a dentist or something."

The television in the corner changed to a talkshow- the host Minoru Mineta was rating female pro heroes according to breast size, the camera panning over his bobbly purple goatee as he talked, before the image switched to a close-up of Nejire-chan's torso.

"Didn't you go to school with that guy?" asked Midoriya, frowning. There had been a short, purple haired guy at the UA entrance exam, but he didn't recall what had happened to him.

Todoroki was glaring at the screen. "One of my classmates died to save that purple piece of shit," he said, with an angry sip of his beer. "And he didn't even become a hero. Not that it matters- she was a hundred times the hero he would have been."

"Oh," said Midoriya, not sure what to say. What were you even supposed to say, when someone told you something like that? "Did you want another drink?"

Todoroki stared at him for a second, his face shifting from anger to his usual neutral expression, then softening a little further, in something that might have been surprise, as he fixed Midoriya with his eyes. "Okay."

Todoroki drank with a grim sort of determination, his already pink face turning steadily more crimson. Midoriya matched him, feeling a warm sort of buzz come over him a few drinks in, enveloping him like a cosy jumper. Midoriya got them another round, discreetly asking Katsugawa to change the television channel when Todoroki kept glaring at the presenter.

Todoroki probably wasn't the spy, he decided. The man was powerful, and a little socially awkward, but it was hard to imagine him hiding something. And he probably didn't think about people hiding things from him, either, Midoriya thought guiltily.

"I've not signed the divorce papers yet," he admitted, five drinks in.

"What?" Todoroki stared at him, mismatched eyes narrowed.

Midoriya hung his head. "I'm sorry. I know I promised you I would. But I wasn't ready-"

Todoroki slipped from his seat and grabbed his jacket. For a moment Midoriya thought he was going to storm out, but instead he stood there, swaying slightly. "Come on," said Todoroki, stiffly.

"I-" Midoriya frowned. "Where are we going?"

"We're going," said Todoroki, firmly. "To your place. And you're going to sign those papers. Tonight."

It was insane. "Tonight?" Midoriya repeated, feeling weak.

"Yeah." Todoroki nodded. "You need a witness on the form anyway, right?"

"Ah. Yeah." Midoriya hadn't even thought about that. He checked the time. "If we hurry, we can catch the last train back to Jakku."

"We could travel with my quirk," offered Todoroki.

Midoriya looked at him, red faced and leaning against the bar to keep his balance. "I don't think that's a great idea."

Todoroki looked a little sheepish. "Alright," he said.

They made it in time for the last train, quiet save for a few inebriated salarymen, and Midoriya found a dark corner to hide Todoroki. The number four hero could hardly be seen in this state in public, and Todoroki's appearance was nothing if not distinctive.

"If I vomit," said Todoroki, quietly, as Midoriya sat him down. "I should freeze it so we can take it with us. It's the socially responsible thing to do."

There was a metallic thunk from the roof, and Midoriya looked up. "What was that?"

Todoroki leaned his head back against the window, his fine hair clinging to the glass and his eyes half-lidded. "Sounded like part of the train to me. It's probably nothing."

Midoriya looked at the ceiling of their carriage, the electronic displays above the luggage racks shifting to show an advert for Dynam-O's, Kacchan's face leering down at them twenty times. "It didn't sound like nothing."

"Mm." Todoroki rubbed his face with his hand, his long legs splayed carelessly from his seat as the train's engines started up, the lights of the platform slipping out of view. "You were attacked the other night and now you're more vigilant than usual. S'normal."

Their journey was quiet save for the noise of the train and the rain against the windows, Todoroki napping until they pulled into Midoriya's local station.

They walked from the station pressed shoulder to shoulder under the umbrella, partly to keep Todoroki steady and partly to brace against the wind. The salarymen on the train had stayed on when they left, and they were alone on the residential streets, most of the houses dark or with a single golden window shining out onto the street. Midoriya couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched, like more Liberation Army soldiers were about to spring out from the darkness. He hadn't felt like this since the night he'd died, and he'd been on plenty of night-time runs. But then he hadn't been out drinking since he died. Maybe Todoroki was right.

"We're here," said Midoriya, as they came to the steps that lead up to his apartment. Todoroki stopped to lean against the railings, stumbling.

"We have to do stairs?" he complained, face shifting to something close to a pout. "You didn't say anything about stairs, Midoriya."

"You're the one that insisted that we go immediately to my apartment," said Midoriya coolly, but he took Todoroki's arm, putting it over his shoulders. "C'mon, I'll help you up."

Midoriya half-carried the pro hero up the stairs to the gantry outside his apartment, pausing to fish in his jacket for keys and open his front door.

"Welcome to my home," he said.

Todoroki looked around as he stepped inside, his gaze pausing on the All Might doll on the side. "I need the toilet," he said, very quietly.

Midoriya pointed him to the bathroom, and Todoroki stumbled in, closing the door behind him. Midoriya picked up the form from where he had discarded it, and turned it over in his hands, rubbing the ink with his thumbs.

"Your place is tiny," said Todoroki as he emerged from the bathroom, drying his hands on a handkerchief from his pocket. "I didn't know they made places this small."

"Plenty of people live in places like this," said Midoriya, matter-of-factly. He was pretty sure Todoroki didn't mean the comment as a snub. He raised the paper, and Todoroki stopped dead in his tracks." You ready to witness me?"

Todoroki inclined his head. "Okay."

Midoriya put the paper on the table, smoothing it out with his scarred palm, and Todoroki took a seat, watching him intently. It felt like an anticlimax. His life as a husband ended. His life as a hero began. As soon as the tip of his pen formed the first character of his name, he knew that it was the right thing to do. That he'd already made his choice, years ago, when Fumiko had asked him to stop chasing after his dream.

He dated the document and pushed it across the table. "Are you sober enough to sign your name?"

Todoroki rolled his eyes and plucked the pen from Midoriya's fingers. "We're about to find out."

There was a crashing sound nearby, reverberating through the thin walls of the apartment. Todoroki stopped, his pen above the paper. "What was that?"

"I don't know," said Midoriya, getting to his feet. "But that didn't sound like nothing."

"No," Todoroki agreed.

"Sounds like it was one of the neighbours," said Midoriya, grabbing a torch from a cupboard.

"I'll come with you."

"No." Midoriya shook his head. "You're three sheets to the wind."

Todoroki looked him in the eye, and signed his name on the form with a flourish. "Sober enough to witness this," he said, before he stood up, knocking his chair over as he did.

Midoriya sighed. There was clearly no discouraging Todoroki. The pro hero followed him as he put on his shoes and went outside to investigate. The rain had abated to a trickle, dripping from the rails of the gantry, and Midoriya shone his torch around. There was no sign of any disturbance, no skulking figure in the dark. He walked the length of the gantry, looking for signs of disturbance, his light passing over the nameplate by each door.

The noise was coming from Himiko's apartment, a steady thud. "Himiko," Midoriya breathed, walking to her door. There were no lights on inside, no light leaking through the crack under the door, but the thudding continued. "Himiko!" he called. "Are you okay?"

There was another thud, and a woman's voice, muffled, shouting something, or trying to. Whatever it was, she wasn't okay. Gritting his teeth, Midoriya lined himself up with the door as Himiko had showed him and delivered a kick to the door. It burst open, and Midoriya stumbled through.

He'd never been in Himiko's apartment. Mail flyers and leaflets were piled on the floor around the door, weeks and weeks worth. Was she a hoarder? It didn't matter, Midoriya, decided. She was his friend. He scanned around with his torch, calling for her.

The main room, a mirror image of Midoriya's apartment, looked like a bomb had hit it. Fast food was scattered everywhere, trash bags tied up and stacked high. It smelled like rotting food and waste. Behind him, Todoroki wrinkled his nose.

"Himiko?" Midoriya called, and there was another thud, weaker this time. Midoriya pointed his flashlight down, to the source of the noise. A wardrobe had fallen on its side on the floor, scattering the trash around it. That must have been the crashing noise. Midoriya put down his torch, leaving it in the trash by his feet as he grabbed the wardrobe, pushing it back upright in a single, easy motion. He called her name again as he opened it.

His neighbour Himiko was inside, naked save for her underwear, and gagged and tied, her dark hair lank around her face. Her eyes fluttered open, and then closed again, her breathing shallow.

Midoriya swore, turning back to Todoroki as he reached into his pocket for something to cut her bonds. Her wrists were bruised and bleeding, from where she had struggled against them. "Call an ambulance."

Himiko was pale and small in the stretcher the paramedics wrapped her in as they carried her down the stairs. They followed her to the hospital, Todoroki on the phone to a police contact the whole way. Midoriya could only understand snatches of what the medical staff were saying, things about dehydration and blood loss. A blood bag was attached to the girl's arm, and a mask on her face. When they arrived she was wheeled off through swinging double doors, leaving the two of them standing uselessly in the waiting room.

Midoriya sat in one of the grey plastic chairs as Todoroki went to the vending machine, coming back with two cans of iced coffee. His face was still red from alcohol, and his aim was somewhere to the side of Midoriya's head. Midoriya caught it anyway.

"I couldn't save them," said Todoroki, his voice low.

"You couldn't save who?" asked Midoriya.

"Two of the people, in the attack the other day. You asked me about it. Both women, one of them had a child." Todoroki's voice was pained. "I wasn't fast enough."

Midoriya wasn't sure what to say. "Oh," he said. "I'm sorry."

"I- I thought you should know. In case your friend-" Todoroki looked down, face flushed and lip curling as his words spilled out. "I couldn't save Iida-"

"Ingenium?"

"His younger brother. He was in my class." Todoroki paused. "We were patrolling in the same district when Stain attacked him."

Midoriya listened, eyes wide, his fingers curled around the cold metal of the can as Todoroki spoke.

"It never gets any easier. No matter how many people you save, the ones that you didn't-" he paused, shaking his head. "I didn't save Ashido, or Yaoyorozu," he continued, bitterness seeping into his voice. "I couldn't even save my father. You can't save everyone, Midoriya. Even if you do everything you can. That's the real first rule of being a hero."

Midoriya looked up at Todoroki's face- his flushed cheeks, his serious eyes, and felt a tightness in his own throat as he thought of Himiko, sitting on his sofa, her knees tucked up against her chin.

"That's probably not very helpful, is it?" said Todoroki, wryly.

"No, I-" Midoriya stood, raising his hand, reaching up, and patted the top of Todoroki's head. "I probably needed to hear that."

Todoroki looked down at him, his expression faintly surprised. A little frost escaped his lips, and Midoriya drew back quickly.

Todoroki's phone buzzed, breaking their reverie. He stared at it for a second, frowning as he scrolled through messages. He paused, and it looked like he read something a second time.

"I just heard back from my detective friend," said Todoroki. He frowned. "I asked him to take a look at the apartment for me. Look for clues as to what happened."

"He found something?"

"It's your neighbour, Fuchigawa," said Todoroki. "The one in the emergency room right now. Her first name's not Himiko."