Two weeks had passed since Izuku had woken up. The green-haired agent had made a tremendous recovery, much to the confusion and disbelief of the hospital's many doctors.
As a shirtless Izuku sat on an examination table, a trio of doctors stood nearby pouring over his charts and medical records while talking to each other.
"Are you sure this guy doesn't have a healing quirk?" A doctor with orange hair asked incredulously as he scrolled through a tablet filled with medical information.
"He is quirkless, I checked three times already." A senior female physician replied with clear exasperation. "It should have taken months for him to recover from the injuries and infection, but for the life of me I cannot find anything wrong with him."
"What about the traces of that unknown compound we found in his bloodstream?" The third doctor said curiously. "The closest thing I could compare it to is Trigger, but that doesn't make any sense. Even if he had been dosed with Trigger, the most it would have done to him is give him a heart attack."
Izuku was just as clueless as the doctors, but could not help but add his own opinion. "The terrorist that stabbed me had been given an enhanced version of Trigger, maybe it somehow wore off on me?"
The female doctor shrugged. "Maybe, you said the terrorist had some sort of healing factor right? Based on what you told us it is possible his cells mixed with yours when he stabbed you, but that is just pure speculation on my part."
Putting his electronic tablet down on a nearby desk, the orange hair doctor turned to face Izuku directly. "In any case, we will need you to come back in once a week for more testing and observation. You may have a clean bill of health now, but we don't know if there will be any other side effects."
Putting his shirt back on, Izuku squashed a brief spike of annoyance that flared inside him at the thought of more tests. "I will try to make sure I can follow through, but with the way my job is I might be too busy for a weekly checkup."
The doctors all nodded understandingly, and after a few more brief suggestions they decided to discharge Izuku from the hospital.
Putting his standard black suit on, Izuku left his hospital room for the final time. Standing outside like an ever-vigilant sentinel, Rumi smiled happily when she saw Izuku in his suit.
"I guess that means you are free to go huh?" The rabbit hero said cheerfully. "About damn time, I was getting sick of eating in the cafeteria."
As Rumi fell in step with him, Izuku grinned slightly as he made his way to the hospital's front entrance. "Nobody said you needed to watch me all day and night. You could have gone home and had some decent food while I slept."
Rumi shook her head vigorously. "No way. You are my partner, and I will be damned if something else happened to you while I was not around."
Stepping past the front entrance's automatic doors, Izuku was surprised to see a small crowd of reporters and paparazzi waiting for him.
"Agent Midoriya! Agent Midoriya!" The crowd yelled out excitedly in an attempt to get an interview.
"Is it true you single handedly took down the villain that wounded Miruko?" A somewhat chubby male reporter asked loudly as he shoved a microphone in Izuku's face.
"Are there any truths to the rumours that you and Thelxie are in a secret relationship?!" Another reporter cried out enthusiastically.
As the flash of cameras and shouts of reporters bombarded him, Izuku felt his rage begin to quickly come to a boil. Normally he would have just ignored the paparazzi like usual, but something about the way the news vultures were totally disregarding the lives lost on the mission sent Izuku over the edge.
"SHUT UP!" Izuku roared so loudly that many of the reporters reflexively flinched. "YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO SYMPATHY FOR THE AGENTS WHO DIED?! NO COMPASSION FOR THE FAMILIES AND PARTNERS WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES?! SHAME ON YOU!"
His anger and frustration taking over, Izuku glared at the assembled reporters and photographers as he spoke in a venomous tone. "Here is something for you to report. A crowd of worthless rats calling themselves reporters decided to harass a man leaving the hospital after he saw his entire team killed in front of him. On top of that, they have the nerve to call a murderous terrorist a villain like he was some corner-store mugger! Go home and rethink your career choices! Or at the very least, kill yourselves so nobody else has to deal with your pathetic excuse of a job!"
Done with his tirade, Izuku stomped away as Rumi rushed to catch up with him
"Izuku what the hell was that?!" Rumi whispered incredulously. "I mean, I totally agree with you, but you never blow up on people like that."
His anger still bubbling just below the surface, Izuku shrugged uncaringly as he walked over to his car. "I am just in a bad mood. I have to attend the funerals this weekend and talk to the grieving families."
Walking over to the driver's side door, Izuku reached down and yanked on the door handle. Forgetting that he had not unlocked his car, Izuku felt a vein pulse in his neck as he unsuccessfully tried to open the door. Spitting out curses, Izuku pulled with all his strength and ripped the car door handle completely off with the sound of tearing metal and plastic. Throwing the offending piece of plastic across the parking lot, Izuku roughly opened the door and got into his car.
As he turned on his car, Izuku did not notice Rumi sit down next to him and give him a concerned look.
"Izuku…" Rumi said with uncharacteristic hesitation. "Are you okay?"
Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Izuku glared at his hands and slowly shook his head.
"No, I'm not okay."
Nodding slowly, Rumi reached out and gently placed a hand on her boyfriend's arm. "Izuku, this isn't like you. I was going to tell you this later but…"
Finally noticing the hesitation in Rumi's voice, Izuku completely forgot about his anger and turned to face her. "Rumi what happened? Is everything alright?"
Looking like a puppy that had been caught digging around in the trash, Rumi stared down at the floor in shame. "I umm...I might have made a deal with Oscar to get some sort of experimental drug for you. When you were sent to the hospital everyone was saying how you were going to die and I…" Rumi's tall rabbit ears went limp against her head as she looked at Izuku with tears in her eyes. "...I panicked. I can't live without you, I won't. So when Oscar showed up with this creepy offer about some medicine that could save you I took it. I had to break into a government lab and steal this vial of blue stuff while also stealing a hard-drive for Oscar as payment."
Rumi reached over and gripped Izuku's hands in hers as she continued her tearful confession. "I know what I did was wrong, but I would do anything to save you! I swear on my life that I did not hurt anyone! I just...I just could not lose you! You are my everything! You changed my life in so many ways that I think I would die if I lost you! Please, I will do anything to make it up to you. Just don't hate me...please…"
It felt like someone had taken a knife and was slowly twisting it into Izuku's guts. He felt like such a hypocrite and a liar. Here he was, hiding his shameful actions from the woman he loved while she beat herself up over something that was not the slightest bit wrong. She had immediately confessed her wrongdoings and begged him for forgiveness, while he had buried his dark deeds like someone hiding a body.
Pulling his crying lover into a tight hug, Izuku could not help but choke up a little as he held Rumi close.
"Rumi, I could never hate you. I...would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes." Izuku whispered softly. "I love you so much, and I really appreciate you doing that for me. I…"
For Izuku, it felt like he was on the edge of an impossibly tall precipice. This was the perfect opportunity to confess to his crimes, to admit to what he did to save Rumi's life. The words were right there in his mind, ready to be said.
But in that single moment, he could not.
"...I cannot imagine how hard that must have been for you." Izuku said in a pained whisper. "No matter what you do, I will always be here for you."
Holding Rumi close as she sniffled and sobbed, Izuku cursed himself and his cowardice.
"Thanks Izuku." Rumi finally croaked out. "I love you so much. I knew that you would understand but...I-I-I was just so scared that you might be disappointed in me."
Pulling back slightly, Rumi gave Izuku a smile that both melted his heart and punched him in the gut.
"Let's go home Izuku."