Category: Angst, Tragedy

Characters: Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo

Additional Tags: Vigilante! Izuku

The silver moon hung low in the cloudy night sky, just a sliver of white curved down into a thin Cheshire cat smile. Its weak beams failed to penetrate the dark shadows draped over the city. Puddles of deep black coated the quiet buildings and sleeping homesteads like fleece blankets, providing plenty of cover for the unsavoury and haunted souls that wandered the backstreets on lonely nights such as these. It was in these orbs of blackness that Izuku lurked, stalking his prey with all the grace and menace of an attuned predator.

His emerald eyes focused on the crouched form perched at the back door of the jewelry shop. Metal glinted in the sparse lowlight, reflecting off the thin wire the masked man was using to pick the pair of sturdy locks while Izuku hunched in the darkness, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. The thief spared every few moments to glance around and critically inspect his surroundings; it was obviously not his first heist. Of course, it didn't matter much to Izuku whether he was experienced or not; all criminals could kill, whether it was their first steal or their hundredth.

The villain exclaimed a small triumphed "Yes!" as the lock clicked and the back door creaked open. The thief pocketed his thievery tools as he stood up. When he placed the flat of his hand against the door to push it open, that was when Izuku zoomed out of the darkness, green lightning crackling across his body as the energy of his Quirk blasted through his being.

The villain exclaimed in both in shock and anger as Izuku slammed his cheek against the rough brick wall of the exterior building. Izuku's elbow jammed down against his cervical vertebrae, placing significant pressure on his trachea from the backside. The villain spluttered and wheezed as his shaking fingers fumbled for the knife in his back jean pocket. He then released an agonized scream as Izuku's steel-plated boots slammed into it, crushing every bone in his hand against the jewelry store wall. His cries faded into pathetic whimpers and snivels, rising in pitch only when the green-haired young man pressed his bruised and bleeding hand further into the gritty brick.

"It's a bit late to be out shopping, don'tcha think?" Izuku purred in the villain's ear. The steel edge of malice poisoned his almost childishly innocent tone of voice. The burglar whined loudly as Izuku pressed his full body weight into his back, imprinting the groove lines of the brick into his skin. "I've got three questions for you," Izuku growled, his voice dropping an octave. Terrified, the thief nodded emphatically to show he was listening. "Have you ever committed a home invasion?"

The villain hesitated to answer, worrying his bloodied bottom lip between his teeth. He then bit through the sensitive, plush skin as Izuku slammed the metal-reinforced toe of his boot into the back of his knee, forcing his left leg to crumple when his patella shattered between the force of Izuku's kick smashing it against the hard brick. A series of loud howls and yowls began to spill from his lips, morphing into gurgles as the red blood streamed down his throat, and Izuku hurriedly smothered his mouth into the palm of his white leather glove.

"Shh, shh, shh, shh," Izuku cajoled in mock sweetness. "You just answer my questions honestly, and we'll come to an agreement, yeah? Now, let's try this again," he tutted as the burglar stared up at him through wide, watery eyes. "Have you ever committed a home invasion?" When Izuku removed his hand from his mouth, the villain spat out clots of thick red blood.

"Yes! Yes! I have," he admitted with a low, mournful groan. Izuku clicked his tongue against his front teeth, making the villain flinch.

"All right. Next question- have you ever killed anyone?"

"Nah, nah, man! I ain't like that, I ain't like that!" The thief began to blabber desperately. "Look, I stole some TVs and some stereos, and pilfered some jewelry every now 'n then, but I ain't never killed nobody!" It was evident that his promises fell on deaf, disbelieving ears, so he switched tactics. "Look man, I ain't a saint, I know that. I got kids, man! I gotta provide, and I know it ain't right, but I love my kids, man! I ain't never killed nobody, man, I don't my kids' daddy to be a murderer- a thief, but not a killer, man!"

Through lidded eyes, Izuku studied the man's own tearful ones. His irises swam with clear desperation and fright, but so far, the green-haired boy could detect no lie. Izuku clicked his tongue again, but this time in dissatisfaction that it seemed he had yet again failed to find the man he'd been hunting for six months. The man mistook it as an inadequate answer to his question, for he began to sob loudly and plead more profusely.

"Shut up!" Izuku barked, the villain's warbling moans irritating him. The villain immediately clamped his mouth shut, bottom lip wobbling. "I have one more question for you. December 23rd, last year, the Red Pine Apartment complex- know anything about it?" Confusion glazed the villain's eyes as he struggled to search his memory for any useful information for Izuku. Izuku raised an eyebrow when lucidity suddenly flooded his dark irises, and the vigilante wondered if perhaps he'd finally stumbled on a helpful lead.

"O-oh, man, you talkin' about that lady that got murdered in the home invasion, right? By that serial burglar? Look, man, that was real tragic, she seemed like a real nice lady; I-I-I read about it in the paper, y'see," he clarified quickly as Izuku began to take an express interest in his ramblings. "I'm sorry, man, I don't know nothin' about it, I swear on my kids' lives-"

"Don't do that," Izuku scolded harshly. The burglar gulped and nodded in understanding before continuing, his voice soft with what seemed to be genuine sympathy.

"Look, guy, I get it. That lady was clearly someone to ya. I wish I knew anything that would help you find who did that to her, honest, man. But I'm just a petty thief scrappin' a livin' the best I know how. I don't know nothin' about no murder. Honest, man." With a heavy sigh, Izuku's crushing grip on the man relaxed ever-so-slightly, enough for the thief to breath properly and release a shaky sigh. Izuku was loathed to admit it, but he really did just seem to be a petty thief, not the cold-blooded murderer that he was searching for. Izuku sucked his bottom lip between his lip as he began to mumble nonsensically to himself about his next course of action in his search for his killer. After a few minutes of listening to his whispered rambling, the thief piped up hopefully, "S-so can I go, man?"

"Absolutely not. You're still a criminal," Izuku huffed and promptly slammed the man's forehead against the wall. The air sang with a sickening crack as blood burst against the brick and hairline fractures spiderwebbed across the front of the man's skull. The villain immediately fell limp, bending back against Izuku, who just stepped aside and allowed him to slam onto his back against the alley floor. Izuku pulled his newest prepaid cell phone, preparing to dial 9-1-1 to call for the police to pick up the unconscious man. Just as his thumb hovered over the "9" button, his instincts began buzzing with a fervor as they sensed an incoming wave of fury, bloodlust, and betrayal.

Izuku ignited his Quirk and zoomed down to the end of the alley without even turning to see who was approaching, because he knew. In the space his emerald-haired head had just occupied, explosions bloomed as a hulky, yowling figure leapt down from the nearby rooftop, hands sparking with multiple blasts. Izuku rolled to land and flipped around, crouching down low as he glared daggers at the muscled ash-blond young man hunching over the burglar currently puddling blood against the dirty cobblestone. With the angle of the sparse moonlight, Izuku could see the white puffs of steamy breath as the boy exhaled a savage growl.

"Deku."

The clouds parted, spilling the gleaming white light down to earth. The beams coalesced against the newcomer's form. They glinted off the vermillion eyes burning within the jagged black mask framing his angular face, highlighted the bright orange bands of his hero suit, and reflected off the smooth metal framing the gigantic gauntlets enclosing his clenched fists. Izuku slowly stood up, flexing his fingers as bright green lightning skittered over his gloves.

"Kacchan," Izuku replied coolly, deigning to shoot a disdainful sneer at his former friend and classmate. Katsuki snarled and lunged forward threateningly, clearly angered by the fact that Izuku still referred to him by the childhood nickname. Katsuki's muscles tensed from head-to-toe as he refrained from blasting across the alleyway to pummel Izuku with everything he had. Izuku tilted his head to the side with a click of his tongue. "Where's the entourage? It's unusual to see you without Eijirou or Mina," he questioned casually, tone laced with scathing scorn.

"Shut up! Stop with the small talk! I left those dumbasses behind because they'll just get in the way!" Katsuki yelled, hand cutting through the humid night air as his hand flung to the side in a furious gesture. His other fist clenched so tightly that it trembled. "Six months… We've been doing this for six months," he whispered, voice cracking with emotions as his eyes flooded with misery and desperation. Izuku's eyes widened slightly as a completely shattered expression overtook Katsuki's usually hard, unforgiving features. "It's not too late. You don't have to do this. Come back with me, Deku, All Might can protect you-"

"I don't need anyone's protection!" Izuku shouted. As he slammed his metal-plated boot into the ground, fissures spiderwebbed underneath him, making his body shift as the ground under his feet heaved and distorted. Katsuki scowled viciously at Izuku's open display of hostility, that scowl so deep that the pink of his gums shone against the whites of his teeth. Izuku's body quaked as he balled up his fists tight, red streams coursing over his scarred skin as the green sparks jumped all over his body. "I can't go back. I can't stop until I know-"

"You're mom's dead, okay?!" As Katsuki's voice cracked like a whip in the otherwise quiet night air, a cold flush seeped into Izuku's being, freezing him down to his bones. Katsuki stared imploringly at him, stepping over the still-bleeding petty thief to hold out both his arms placatingly. Though Izuku's instincts yowled at him to surge forward and clock him in the jaw, he reigned himself in, but only just. "She's dead," Katsuki whispered in a ghost of a breath.

Izuku wasn't sure if it was just a trick of the fading moonlight or not, but he swore he saw sympathetic tears glinting in the corners of Katsuki's eyes. "I know you wanna know who did that to her. I know you're angry. God, Deku, I understand anger better than anyone!" he said, splaying his hand out over his heart as his voice rose with mounting emotion. "But fuck, dude, do you think she'd want this? For you to turn against everything you've ever known, everything you've ever wanted, and just go on a vengeance spree? Don't be fucking hypocrite, dude! You remember what happened to Four-Eyes!"

The memory flooded Izuku's mouth with bitter acid. He's right. You had to stop Iida that time. Now here's Kacchan, trying to keep you from making the same mistakes- Izuku quickly squashed the notion, hardening his heart once more before he slipped away from his path. I can't stop until I know. I can't stop until the person that did that- His breath hitched in his throat with the coming of horrid visions, flashes of arcs of blood splashed over the walls and floors, of overturned furniture and broken glass, of ingredients for a home-cooked meal still laid out on the kitchen counter, of his mother's body lying prone staring at the ceiling with glassy eyes-

"Shut up! Shut up, Kacchan!" Izuku screamed and grabbed the side of his head to wrench his eyes shut. "You don't know! You don't know what it's like! You didn't see what that monster did to her!" His eyes shot open, silent tears streaming down his cheeks as he glared thunderously at the recently graduated hero. A sob choked him, making him struggle to release his words. "I should've been there. If I'd only gotten there ten minutes sooner, she'd still be here and that bastard would be rotting in a prison cell where he belongs!" The sparks increased in intensity as he flexed his arms hard, leather groaning as they were strained under his increasingly tight grip. "I can't stop now, Kacchan. Not now."

"Fucking listen to yourself!" Katsuki pressed, taking another step forward. Izuku reacted this time by jerking forward, priming himself should the blond dare to push closer. Katsuki seemed oblivious to the looming threat, red eyes as wide as blood moons as he tried desperately to beseech the vigilante. "It's not your fault, Izuku." Izuku relaxed just the slightest as his friend addressed him by name, his real name. Katsuki's voice was soft, pleading, honeyed with promise and brotherhood. "I know what it's like to blame yourself for somethin' bad. You know that I know. Don't do this. Don't go down this road." Katsuki removed one of his gauntlets; it clanged to the ground, rolling a foot or so away to bump against the side of the building walling the alley. Katsuki's expression was nothing sort of begging as he extended his hand to Izuku. "Please. Izuku. Come home."

Izuku was tempted. So, so tempted. His fingers twitched as the inane desire gripped him, and his hand even rose a few centimeters. Home. Home. Home. The word pulsed in his mind, a repetitive drum hammering away at the wall of resolve he's built up for months. Chips and cracks appeared in the fortification, dust raining down as Katsuki's plea assaulted his will. Home.

"Welcome home, Izuku! I missed you so much. Tell me all about school- oh, but don't make me cry, okay?"

Izuku sucked in a strangled breath as the voice of the person he'd never see again rang in his head. Hissing, he grabbed his hand and held it, physically restraining himself to squash the last dregs of the desire tainting his nerves. His emerald eyes hardened into shining gems rough and unpolished with malice.

"Sorry, Kacchan. I told you already. I can't go back now." Without warning, Izuku sprang at him, giving Katsuki no time to react as he aimed a savage kick to the side of his body. Katsuki's reflexes were sharper than ever, so he managed to wedge his remaining gauntlet between himself and Izuku's oncoming metal-coated boot. Boosted by the insane strength of Izuku's Quirk, the blow crippled the metal of the gauntlet, making it crumple like aluminum wrap under the fierce assault of the strike. The force propagated across the surface to ripple into Katsuki's body, and the boy yelped as he was abruptly flung sideways, right into the brick wall. The hard surface exploded upon his impact, clouding white, chalky dust into the air. Katsuki's limp body slumped over the edge of the giant hole he'd created, twitched beneath a few cracked bricks. He was barely conscious, groaning Izuku's name. Izuku straddled his legs where they stuck out into the alley, eyes lidded.

He wasn't sure how he felt about it- how easily he'd subdued Katsuki Bakugo, his greatest rival and fiercest competitor. It was so unlike Katsuki to be just immediately flattened, especially by one blow. But here he was, moaning as he cradled his broken ribs with blood streaming from the large gash in the side of his head. His red eyes peeked through the slits of his eyes, hazily focusing on the green-haired vigilante as he stepped away from the scene.

"Get back here… Motherfucker…" Katsuki's voice warbled with exhaustion from the concussion he was probably sporting. The bricks shifted and clattered off his form as he half-climbed, half-stumbled out of the hole. Izuku glanced over his shoulder from the entrance of the alley to see Katsuki barely standing, knees wobbling as he staggered after him. Scratches littered his skin and blood spattered his black-and-orange costume. "Get back here, Deku! I ain't done yet!" he demanded, louder. In the next second, his legs gave out and he slammed face-first into the cobblestone. Izuku watched him slowly wiggle with a mixture of pity and satisfaction. "Fuck," Katsuki wheezed, clearly struggling not to cry. "I just… I just want… I wanted things to be like they used to," he sniffed pathetically. The tears blotted his face because he hadn't the strength to lift a hand to wipe his face.

Izuku stared down at him mournfully.

"They can't, Kacchan. They just can't."

Izuku left Katsuki and the petty thief in the alleyway. With all the noise, someone would've heard and called the authorities. Izuku activated his Quirk to place some distance between himself and the crime scene. His mind was a blank slate, thoughtless as he erased all urges to turn around and hug Katsuki while bawling his eyes out.

After a few minutes of leaping across the rooftops, Izuku crouched down onto the flat roof of a department store. He smiled wanly as he looked up at the night sky, where a few stars were stubbornly blinking behind the thick sheet of gray clouds.

"Sorry, Mom. You're probably crying right now, huh? Sorry… But I can't go back- not until someone pays."