SUMMARY: Izuku tried to find ways to help his friend who obviously have PTSD. He also gets to properly meet the hero who had saved his friend, Hawks! And in another part of the city, someone's been working hard to survive in a tough world.

IN THE SHADOWS

His heavy breathing and footsteps echoed off the walls as he ran down the endless hallway. The cuffs around his hands clinking at his frantic movement. The floor under his feet shifted and suddenly he's falling backwards. He let out a cry as he landed on his back hard. His eyes snapped open in panic when a heavy weight pinned him down, he stared at the man's cold dead eyes as he leaned down and whispered, "The lord detests lying lips and I shall silence you."

A large hand took hold of his face, gripping tightly that it's bound to bruise. The man raised his free hand there, was a glint. Katsuki's eyes widened at the needle and red thread, "NO!"

He tried to push Hanamoto off of him. He pressed his hands on the man's chest and his hands began to spark in his panic. The man didn't react at all as Katsuki's hands burned through his shirt and the skin on his chest. Katsuki recoiled at the smell of burning flesh. He pulled his hands back and tried to knock the man's hand off his face. The man lost his grip and Katsuki raised his hands to his face, turning his head to the side and created a medium sized explosion that knocked the crazed man back. The boy quickly struggled to his feet, trying to get as far away from the man as he could.

"This is a dream!" he said to himself. He shut his eyes, "Wake up, damn it!"

He stumbled when something latched onto his leg. He looked down and gasped to see one of the other dead boys. The boy looked at him with his dead eyes, "Why? Why are you alive?"

Katsuki turned around when he heard shuffling. More of Hanamoto's victims emerged from the darkness, they stared at him with their dead eyes, "It's not fair."

"Stay back!"

"It's not fair."

"I said, stay back!" screamed Katsuki as his hands crackle.

"You should be dead with us!"

Katsuki stumbled as they rushed toward him. They grabbed at him and pushed him down and he struggled in vain to fight them off as he was outnumbered. He gritted his teeth, wake up! Wake up! Wake the fuck up!

Their collective voices drown out his scream as he felt his body rotting away. His skin going dry and crumbling at their touch. The boys sneered at him with contempt, grabbing and clawing at him. He looked up as another shadow loomed over his head. Hanamoto stared down at him, a screwdriver in his hand, "Apologize for your sins or forever be silenced."

Katsuki shook his head, tears leaking down the side of his face. He couldn't even open his mouth to protest as one of the dead boys had his hands pressing down against his mouth. He watched Hanamoto raised the screwdriver over his head, "Then be silenced."

He watched as the screwdriver plunged toward his face.

Izuku startled awake by a loud cry next to him. He sat up when he saw Katsuki sitting on the bed, drenched in sweat and eyes wide, "Kacchan?"

"Fuck," said the blond as he leaned forward, a hand pressed against his eyes. He was gritting his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. He flinched when Izuku touched his shoulder.

"It's okay, Kacchan. You're safe," said Izuku. His heart twisted in pain at Katsuki's vulnerable state. Ever since the kidnapping, Katsuki had grown quiet and withdrawn. His parents had mentioned, before they leave for their job in Hong Kong, that their son had bouts of nightmares ever since. This is the second time Izuku awakened in the middle of the night.

He waited patiently for the blond to collect himself, rubbing calming circles on his trembling back. They sat in silence for a few minutes, then he heard Katsuki whispered, "Sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry, Kacchan."

He watched sadly as his friend curled in on himself, fingers gripping tightly at his upper arms, "I'm such a wreck. I'm sorry."

Izuku felt tears sting his eyes, "Kacchan."

He pulled the older boy into a hug and held him tight. A choked sob escaped his lips, followed by another. Katsuki scrubbed at his eyes, "Fuck. Fuck this."

"It's okay to cry, Kacchan."

Katsuki twisted in his arms, he felt the boy's arms wrapped around him. His face buried against Izuku's chest, tears soaking his All Might pyjama. A sense of déjà vu hit Izuku and he remembered that one time his friend was upset and cried in his arms. Katsuki rarely cries and sometimes Izuku forgot that he's not invincible. Izuku tucked his chin over the blond's head, "Do you wanna talk about it?"

The blond shook his head. Izuku sighed, "Okay."

He pulled him down so they both lie on their sides. Izuku continued to rub circles on his back until the sobs subsided as Katsuki had cried himself to sleep again. Izuku yawned and closed his eyes. He wished he could do more to help him, but he didn't know what to do. What would All Might do?

"Morning, mom," said Izuku sleepily as he trudged into the kitchen.

His mother smiled at him tiredly, "Bad dream again?"

Her son sat on one of the chairs heavily and buried his face into his arms on the table, "Mmhmm."

Inko frowned as she turned to stir the stew in the pot. It's been two days since Katsuki came to stay with them because his parents were away, "I heard him cry again last night."

"I wish I could do something to help him feel better."

"Oh, honey. Just being there for him is more than enough. Give him time. It's only been two weeks."

"Sometimes…"

Inko turned to face her son. He sat staring at his clasped hands on the table. The boy rubbed at his eyes, "Sometimes, I just forget."

His mother approached him and sat on a chair beside him "About what, dear?"

"That Kacchan's like me. He gets hurt and he cries too. I always have this belief that he's strong and amazing! That nothing could put him down!"

Inko took his hands in hers gently, "I think we all do. He's always so energetic and fierce. And he's always been much more mature than kids his age that it makes us forget he's still a kid."

"I want him to understand that it's okay for him to be a kid and ask for help. He's just… so stubborn."

"Katsuki is indeed a stubborn boy. Be patient with him, alright?"

Izuku sighed tiredly, "Okay, mom."

"I'll be leaving for work soon. Are you boys planning to go out today?" asked Inko as she frowned slightly. The two boys had stayed indoors to finish their homework and played some games yesterday.

Izuku scratched his head, "I dunno. Maybe we'll go to the park or visit the stores?"

"Fresh air would be good for you two. Be careful out there."

Izuku nodded, "Okay, mom."

"Alright, I've made some food. Warm them up before you eat," said Inko as she stood and gave her son a peck on his temple.

Izuku hummed as he watched her went to her room to change. He sighed and stared out the kitchen window. It looks like it'll be a good day for a walk.

"We don't have to go if you don't want to," said Izuku carefully as he watched Katsuki put on his jacket.

"Shut up, nerd! I'm getting bored of being cooped up anyway. Let's just go," said the blond as he pulled a pair of gloves over his hand.

Izuku smiled at the snark, "Okay!"

He texted his mother to let her know they're going out. He saw Katsuki was typing on his phone in his peripheral view and wondered if he's texting his parents. The green-haired boy stuffed his cellphone in his pocket and pulled a beanie over his messy curls, "Ready?"

Katsuki glanced at him before his eyes returned to his phone. He shrugged a shoulder, "Yeah. Whatever."

"I wonder if they're going to set up some booths around the park, like last year! Maybe they'll have some snacks selling!"

Katsuki tuned out his friend as he stared at the screen of his phone. He waited anxiously for a reply. His phone pinged and he released the breath he was holding unconsciously.

Birdbrain: I got your back.

He sent a quick thanks and put his phone away. He pulled a glove over his hand and sighed. He tried to follow his friend's familiar ramblings, easing into a sense of familiarity. Get your shit together and move on.

Katsuki stayed close to Izuku and unconsciously made sure his friend was standing on the left side, away from the alleyways. His protective instinct telling him to keep his friend away from the potential danger lurking in the shadows. They stopped by a café to have some hot cocoa. They talked about the latest heroic news and made guesses about the hero rankings.

"Oh! I've been meaning to ask you something," said Izuku as he put down his mug.

Katsuki stirred his hot cocoa, "What?"

Izuku bit his lower lip nervously, "That guy you were with that night, the one with red wings, who is he?"

Katsuki sighed and leaned back against his chair, "His name is Hawks."

Izuku blinked and waited for him to continue. The blond crossed his arms, "He's the one who found me."

The green-haired boy's shoulder sagged a little as he sensed his friend keeping information from him. He put his hand to cup his warm mug, "Is he a hero?"

Katsuki turned his head to the right and rest his chin on his palm, "Yeah, I guess so."

"What's he like?! He's from which agency? Does he have a sidekick? Wait, he looks young, is he a sidekick? Who does he work with? How come I've never heard of him before?! What's his special move?! And those wings, can they do anything spe-"

"Deku!"

Izuku clapped a hand over his mouth, face burning in embarrassment at his ramblings. He ducked his head at the stares he got from the other patrons. Katsuki slowly exhaled and put his arms on the table, "I'll answer what I can."

Izuku's brows rise at the word 'can'. Does this mean he knows more? But why is he not sharing information with him? They always share information about heroes. He jumped when he got a kick under the table. Katsuki was glaring at him, oh, he must've spaced out.

"You back? Good. So, his name is Hawks and he has a mutant quirk. Thus, those wings. He can control his feather's telekinetically and he flies really fast. I dunno where he works and I dunno who he works with. That's it."

"He controls his feathers telekinetically? Whoa, that's amazing! Did you see it in action?"

Katsuki nodded. He jumped when Izuku suddenly stood up, his chair scraping the floor loudly. He wanted to yell at his friend but the boy was staring at something behind him. Katsuki turned around to see Hawks walk in. Izuku had a finger pointing at the teenager, his hand shaking wildly and his face flushed, "I-it's him! Oh my gosh, Kacchan! It's Hawks! It's really Hawks! In person! In here! In this café! I can't believe this, Kacchan!"

Hawks made a show as if he just noticed them. He approached their table with an easy smile. He ruffled at the blond spikes affectionately, "Hey, how are you feeling, kiddo?"

Katsuki grunted, "I'm fine."

Izuku's brain was fried. He stood there sputtering, eyes wide with excitement. Hawks grinned and turned his attention to the boy, "You must be his friend!"

"Yes! His friend. Kacchan's friend! I'm his friend!"

Katsuki groaned and buried his face in one hand, "Deku, you're embarrassing me."

Izuku slapped his cheeks hard with his hands that it leaves red handprints on his face. He shoved his right hand forward, "I'm Midoriya Izuku!"

Hawks chuckled as he shook the boy's trembling hand. His eyes glinting in amusement. He took a chair and sat down next to Katsuki, "So what're you boys up to?"

"N-nothing much. Just out for a drink and m-maybe a walk!"

"Sweet! I'm on my break right now," he glanced at Katsuki in the corner of his eyes, "Mind if I join you?"

Izuku blanked out. This is so unexpected. A hero just asked if he could hang out with them. What is he supposed to say? Katsuki grunted and looked away and Izuku noticed a blush on his cheeks. The blond mumbled, "Whatever."

Hawks clapped his hands, "Great! Lemme order a coffee to go!"

Izuku leaned forward, "Psst! Kacchan!"

"What?!"

"You can just say no if you're uncomfortable. I mean you don't have to agree with him for my sake."

"Idiot. I didn't agree for you," said Katsuki as his eyes gazed at the winged hero. Izuku noticed something in his eyes. Is that… fondness? Does Kacchan know the hero closely? Wait, maybe he's just overthinking this! Hawks saved Kacchan so of course Kacchan would be so grateful to him that he's admire him. But why do they seem so close? Like, they've known each other longer? His eyes widened when he remembered something.

"Kacchan! He's the one who saved you when you got attacked by that thief five years ago!"

The blond's face reddened and it confused Izuku even more, "It's him, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I thought you forgot."

"Well, obviously I remembered!"

Katsuki groaned as he buried his face in his hands, ears red, "Can we stop talking about him saving my ass? I don't want to be reminded that I'm a loser."

Izuku frowned, "You're not a loser, Kacchan."

The blond peeked at him between his fingers, "…thanks."

"Got my coffee!" said Hawks in a sing-song voice as he returned. He gave his takeout cup a little shake. He raised a questioning brow at the boys, especially at the sight of Katsuki's red face, "Any problems?"

"No!"

"No."

Hawks grinned, "Okay, we'll go when you're ready."

Izuku's hand shook as he brought his mug up to his lips. He peeked over his cup as Hawks took a seat beside Katsuki, and put an arm over the backrest of Katsuki's chair. Izuku waited for his friend to react, usually the blond would demand for personal space. But he was surprised instead to see the blond leaning back. Hawks ruffled his hair playfully and the blond gave him a half-hearted glare. Izuku tensed when Hawks rubbed a thumb under Katsuki's left eye, the hero spoke softly that if he didn't pay attention, he'd missed it, "Have you been sleeping well?"

Katsuki pushed his hand away and hissed under his breath, "Stop that!"

Izuku finds it odd, at how Katsuki let the winged teenager touch him, and he couldn't help but feel a little jealous at their interaction. He quickly swallowed his cocoa and slammed his mug on the table, startling the two, "I'm done!"

Katsuki sighed as he got up, "Alright. Let's go."

Hawks glanced at Katsuki's half full mug on the table, "But you didn't finish your-"

"It's getting late. We need to go back before six."

"Ah, Kacchan! Wait!" said Izuku as he hurried after the blond. He glanced down at his watch; they have about an hour left before they need to go home.

Hawks followed the boys out of the café. He pressed a hand to his mouth in thought as he watched them from behind. They spoke in harsh whispers before Katsuki stopped and smacked his friend's head. Hawks bit his lower lip to not laugh. The blond pushed his friend towards the hero, "You go ask him yourself, shitty nerd!"

"Ow! Okay, okay! You don't need to use force," whined the shorter boy.

Hawks grinned, "Is he always like that?"

Izuku blushed slightly, "Y-yeah. Kacchan's Kacchan."

"Haha, I'm not sure what that means but you guys are funny!"

Katsuki huffed and marched away. Shoulders tensed and hunched forward. Izuku and Hawks followed him a few feet back. The young hero took a sip of his coffee, "So you got a question for me, Midoriya-kun?"

"Ah, yes! About your quirk! Kacchan said-"

Katsuki regretted letting Izuku talk with Hawks. Now the two idiots won't shut up. How they hadn't run out of topic yet is a mystery to him. He could still hear them over the music blaring through his earphones. He sighed when he felt a poke on his back, he took one earbud out, "What?!"

Izuku, who had grown up with him, blinked his eyes, unfazed by his temper, "Do you wanna order take out for dinner? Mom just texted, she said she'll be home late."

"Whatever. Just none of the greasy shit," replied the blond grumpily as he put the earbud back in his ear.

"Well, he's a ball of sunshine," Hawks commented as he took a bite of the yakitori he bought from a yatai they passed by.

"Sorry about that. He didn't get enough sleep lately. So he's extra grumpy."

"Really?"

Izuku stared at the ground, "Yeah. His parents told us he's been having nightmares about… you know."

Hawks frowned as he stared at the blond in front of them. Izuku clenched his fists, "Hawks-san, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"What happened to Kacchan? When you brought him home, he looked fine? I didn't see any injury on him."

Hawks meet his eyes, "I don't think I have the right to tell you what happened though."

"But Kacchan won't say anything! I want to help him!"

The young hero sighed and ruffled his curly locks, "I know you do. You're a good kid."

He glanced at the blond and once he's sure he's not paying attention to them he spoke softly, "The man who took him did some horrible things to him. I'm not surprised if Katsuki's traumatized by his ordeal."

Izuku caught on to the fact Hawks had addressed his friend by his name instead of his surname. He kept that information in the back of his mind, "What kind of horrible things?"

Hawks frowned, "I can't tell you the details. All I can say is that Katsuki's lucky to get out alive."

That didn't tell him much but Izuku now understood how guilty Katsuki must've felt to come back alive. He's heard his friend's guilt-ridden apologies in his sleep.

I'm sorry.

I should be dead.

I don't deserve this.

I know!

I'm sorry!

Izuku let out a shuddering breath, "I wish there's a quirk that could help him forget the bad things. So that he could have a peace of mind."

Hawks sighed and whispered, "Me too, kid. Me too.

They soon reached the apartment complex where the Midoriya live. Katsuki had taken off his earphones and put them in his pocket. He watched a flustered Izuku say his goodbye to Hawks, "Oi! Stop being such a fanboy!"

"Ah! S-sorry! Goodbye, Hawk-san! I hope to hear news of you!"

Hawks chuckled, "Thanks for your support kid."

Izuku shuffled toward the entrance to the lobby, Katsuki following him closely. He paused when Hawk's called out his name, "What?"

His eyes widened when Hawks enveloped him in a hug. One hand was behind his head and the other around his back. His face pressed against the teen's jacket. The teenager whispered, "Get some sleep, Katsuki."

"E-easy for you to say," he whispered back.

"Keep in touch. I'll come over if you need me."

Katsuki reluctantly pushed him back, "Thanks."

Hawks gave him a smile, although it didn't quite reach his eyes, "Cheer up, kid! Face the day with a smile no matter how hard it is, just like All Might!"

Katsuki snorted as he punched his arm lightly, "Shut up."

"Alright, I'll be on my way. It was fun hanging out with you guys!" said Hawks as he waved at Midoriya who was watching them at the doorway.

"Y-yeah!"

They watched Hawks take flight into the air. Izuku waited for Katsuki who was still staring at the sky, his stance relaxed and an air of calm around him. The green-haired boy cleared his throat, "Kacchan?"

Katsuki wiped the back of his hand over his eyes before turning to his childhood friend. He had a small grin on his face, "Let's order some curry!"

Izuku sighed and smiled, "Okay."

He was caught off guard when Katsuki slung an arm around his shoulder and dragged him into the building. Katsuki ruffled his hair roughly, "Deku, you little shit! You fuckin embarrassed me in front of a hero!"

A nervous chuckle escaped Izuku's lips, "I'm sorry! But you know me, I just can't help but get excited and nervous around heroes! They're so cool! Hawks was super cool!"

"Yeah. He's cool," said Katsuki as he smiled fondly. Izuku felt happiness bloom in him but deep in his heart, he also felt a twinge of jealousy at the memory of watching Hawks hugging his friend. He shook his head and tried to focus on Katsuki as he talked about which restaurant they should call.

The body fell on the floor heavily, blue flames licking at it hungrily. The heavily bandaged person shook his hand in disgust, "That's what you get for getting in my way, scum."

He turned around and stalked toward a duffle bag on the ground. He unzipped the bag and grinned widely at the contents, "Jackpot!"

He zipped the bag and picked it up. He walked away from the burning body, going in deep into the maze-like back alley. He's memorized the back alley over the years and met some interesting people. People who were shunned by society, like him. He couldn't trust most of the inhabitants but the few that he does, he goes to them for supplies. He walked through the winding alley until he reached what looked like an abandoned building. He entered the building and went for the basement where there was light. He didn't bother to knock as he entered, the metal door screeching on its hinge.

"Kid, how many times do I have to say? Please, knock the goddamn door!"

The bandaged teenager chuckled as he threw the duffle bag on the couch. The man in white lab coat grabbed it and looked inside, he let out a whistle, "Dude, this is more than enough!"

"Consider it as extra reward and rent paid. When can you start?"

"Well, I have most of the stuff we need. We can start right away if you're ready!"

"Awesome," said the teenager as he peeled off his tattered jacket.

"I'll have the operation room ready. So, let's go through this quickly. I'm going to slap," he slapped his arm with a smack, "Some synthetic skin on you and add hair implants on your head so you'll look 'normal' enough to fit into society."

"You think you can make them fireproof?"

"I'm not sure. It's going to be a trial and error thing. You okay with that?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Great! I'll call you when the room's ready!"

The teenager sat on the couch heavily and threw his arms over the backrest. His eyes roamed lazily at the walls covered in posters and medical jargons. There were a few suspicious-looking jars on the shelf in the corner. A skeletal model stood haphazardly in another corner. He threw his head back and sighed as he took a quiet nap.

Nearly half an hour later, he heard the underground doctor's footsteps. He sat up and got to his feet as the man emerged from the backroom, voice chipper as usual, "Ready when you are, kid!"

He followed the doctor into the back room where there was an operating table. The man patted the table, "Lie down and get comfy! Oh, you gotta take off your shirt. Let me see the extent of your damage!"

The doctor whistled when he saw what was hidden under the black t-shirt. There were only a few patches of skin left on the teenager's chest, arms and back, "Ok. Shoes off and pants off!"

The teenager eyed him warily and the doctor put up his hands quickly, "Don't worry, kid! I'm not a pervert, promise! I'm not interested in that kind of stuff! No siree!"

He waited for the teenager to kick off his worn sneakers and the jeans. He noted that most of the skin on his legs are intact. He nodded, "Okay, not much to work on. This will be quick. Lie down and relax, kid. Let me do my magic!"

"So? How do you like your new look?" asked the doctor excitedly. His eyes wide and he stood on his tiptoes.

His patient studied his reconstructed face in the mirror. He rubbed a hand over his smooth jaw and then ran a hand through his spiky dark hair. He turns around to face the doctor, "Not bad. You deserve all that cash I got ya."

The doctor pumped a fist, "Yes! A pleasure doing business with you! Now let's see if your new skin can resist your flames!"

The teenager opened his palm and blue flames appeared. He watched as the flame danced on his hand for about a minute before distinguishing it. He studied his hand and grinned, "It works."

The doctor clapped his back, "Great! Now if you need to get fixed just come back here, alright?" He shook the teen back and forth, "Please do! You're my only regular customer here in the dumps, kid!"

The teenager smiled, "Sure. And thank you."

"You know? If I'm a female virgin, I'd probably swoon over your handsome face right now and get laid. But alas! I'm not! And even if I'm a woman, I don't think I'll be interested anyways!"

The teenager scoffed at the weird man. He picked up his shirt and pulled it over his head. He was met with a wad of cash in his face when he popped his head out of the shirt collar. He raised a brow at the man, "What for?"

"I have a little too much money, take it and go get yourself some new outfits. Flaunt that new look to the world and crush some hearts! You're a work of art! Make me proud!"

The teenager took the money, "Thanks."

"Anything for my favourite patient! You can still crash here if you want. I don't mind the company. Talking to yourself gets boring after a few days."

The teenager chuckled, "Hey, Noname."

"Hmm?"

The teen raised the money in his hand, "Wanna go grab some beer?"

The doctor's eyes lit up, "For real?! Heck yeah!"

The teenager stumbled as the man slung an arm over his shoulder, "Hey, kid. What should I call ya? Been calling you kid since forever!"

"Just call me Dabi."

"Nice to meet ya Dabi!"

Dabi shook his head in amusement at the eccentric man. They left the basement and went to find a bar. The doctor's excited chatter echoing around them in the back alley maze.

A/N: I wanted to make a belated birthday fic for Katsuki but I couldn't fit it in here. It'll be in the next chapter.

Feed the hungry author with kudos or comments! Rawr! Please and thank you!

OC Profile

Name: Noname Hito (a play on words that means 'No name man'. The word 'no' and 'name' were put together and the word Hito means person/man in Japanese.)
Quirk: Reconstruct.
Quirk description: Noname can connect or reconstruct something at a molecular level but he would need something else to fill in the blanks. In this case, he needed raw ingredients used to make synthetic materials to transplant new skin and hair for Dabi (Touya), though he cannot fix Touya's damaged nerves. His quirk is like a weaker version of Overhaul's quirk.