I love- LOVE- taking liberties and I did warn you. This is an AU and not everything is going to be in line with canon.

Shouta felt something was off the moment he stepped into Shirakawa's home with Hizashi. He just couldn't place why. The home looked like an average home but there was just something that immediately had tiny hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

Was it the smell? The smell of…rotting food in the air? No, he didn't think so. Shirakawa was a blind man who required the help of his child to help pick up his home from time to time so it wasn't that. It wasn't even really the mess that the house was in, the place was messy, but again that was only logical…

Right?

Shouta lightly nudged some items out of his footpath…

"Uh…I'll go left and you go right?" Hizashi asked and Shouta nodded. It was clear by the tone in his partner's voice that Hizashi also felt a little on edge inside the home.

"Yeah." Shouta then turned towards the right where one bedroom and one bathroom stood. Shirakawa shuffled awkwardly behind him.

"I really must thank you."

"It's no problem, really, I guess I'm just glad they didn't hurt you." Shouta spoke the truth while he and Shirakawa both shuffled into the master bedroom together. Shirakawa gave his tongue a little cluck off of the roof of his mouth.

"Me too. I think they were close, but then they learned I was blind…"

Well, the league weren't all complete monsters it seems.

The Master bedroom was rather gross as a whole. With dog feces on the floor along with urine. Ginger lifted her head at Shouta before laying back down. The dressers and nightstands were just cluttered with junk and beer bottles leaving a disgusting odor lingering in the air. The rotten food smell was at its strongest here. 'I never want to hear this man complain about my cats and their litter box ever again.' Shouta put a hand over his nose as he took a step back, nearly bumping into Shirakawa.

"Wh-when are your children coming to pick the place up again?" Shouta knew it was rude to ask but by god: Shirakawa said that with his blindness and quirk that odors were ten times as strong to him. There's no way this man cannot smell this stench. It was so bad it was making Shouta's eyes tear up and sting all at once. He already has enough eye problems!

"Oh…has it gotten that bad?" Shirakawa innocently asked, making Shouta feel slightly bad for his comment. "They're going to be here in a few days. You don't really have to search for much here. Just…under the bed as that's where I keep my safe."

Shouta was glad Shirakawa was blind. The man couldn't see his face of disgust at the idea of having to get down so close to dog feces and urine.

His unease didn't go away. If anything it was starting to escalate as questions popped into his mind. 'Ginger is trained. I've seen him walk her. I understand accidents happen but…' It almost felt unreal.

Shouta, painstakingly, got down on one knee making sure to avoid any brown stains on the carpet before he leaned down to peek under the bed. He had to lift the dust curtain up and it was as he did this that he suddenly felt something cold and hard pressed against the back of his head.

'Shit.'

"...You're not really my neighbor. Are you?" Shouta asked as he slowly sat up as the pieces started to really fit together. He's just been talking to some guy for the past few months.

"You're not exactly a social butterfly. The actual Shirakawa has been dead for sometime now. I look nothing like him, but you had no clue." The man chuckled and the glasses he was wearing were tossed onto the floor. "I was going to introduce myself to you and your children…but luck will have you come knocking on my door looking to catch your son in a lie. I just introduced myself as a harmless blind man and you didn't question a thing. It was so easy to have you in my grasp. So easy to talk 'dad to dad' with you."

"Are you with the league?"

"Nope. I'm with something greater. You see, I was sent here because of that damn girl. She kept slipping out of our grasp for the path month. So, I befriended the hero to help me find her. Originally, I was going to offer to 'foster' her but you had me beat with that other hero fuckbuddy of yours and Then you left." He gritted his teeth and pressed the gun harder against the back of Shouta's skull. "I had to come up with something. I had to bide my time. Wait for you and your stupid family to come back." The man snorted in impatience. "Originally, we were just going to steal your brats in exchange for the girl…but you brought her right to us… so an exchange was no longer necessary."

Shouta's heart plummeted into his knees.

He left the kids alone with a non-hero.

It was all a fucking set-up.

"Ah, without even seeing your face, I can tell you figured everything out. If your brats play their cards right maybe the boss will let them go, but that's a hard maybe. It depends on the mood the boss is in. I just need to keep you occupied-"

Shouta threw his arm back catching the gun with his wrist and sending it flying off into a wall. He then grabbed the imposter's wrist with the same hand, pulled him in, and headbutted his face hard. The man took a step back in alarm.

"You'd hurt a blind man?" He asked and this was the first time Shouta was able to actually see his eyes. Not milky white, not blind, but a vibrant orange with goat-like pupils. "Have you no shame!-"

Shouta wasn't expecting the wall of ice to engulf his neighbor in only seconds. The ice rose up to the guy's biceps and kept him in place.

"Mr. Aizawa!" Shoto came running into the room, nearly sliding on his own ice in the process. He had Eri in his arms and was holding the shivering little girl tightly.

"Shou!" Hizashi did slip on the ice. He fell right on his thigh but was quick to recover. "What on earth is going on!?"

"He's a fake!" Shouta called to Hizashi and then turned to Shoto. "The others-"

"-He- he-" Shoto's face crumpled suddenly as he just looked so distressed. "Mr. Higashi- he's… It happened so fast! Cujo is holding him off but…" Shoto looked close to tears. "There's blood everywhere…" He whispered to his teacher as he also started to shake.

"It's only a matt-matter of time before the boss kills your brats next-" Shouta threw an arm back and caught the man directly in the nose. "Shut it! Hizashi, call for the cops and watch him! Shoto, go outside and do not come in this house or in my house unless said so, understood? Watch Eri." Shouta took control of the situation and took off in a run for the outside with Shoto right behind him. The teen was whispering comforting words to Eri.

The moment he was outside Shouta knew he was too late. He knew those screams anywhere. Hitoshi's screams could be heard all the way three houses down and already some of his other neighbors were poking their heads out of their doors to see the commotion.

'But…are these actually my neighbors?' He could only think and then he steeled himself and focused back on his children. They mattered so much more right now-

A new scream could be heard. Not Izuku, no, Shouta knew by the sound of the voice alone that it was Cujo. "Release me!" Came Cujo's own cry of distress and soon All Might, not Toshinori but the oaf himself, came backing out of the house with Cujo encased in his big arms. Cujo was literally kicking and screaming as he was being dragged out of the house.

Cujo was absolutely covered in blood. So much of it that his white hair turned red. Blood was splattered all over his chest, arms, and legs. Cujo threw his head back in an attempt to headbutt All Might, but all he did was just hit the man's collarbone. "I said release me!" Cujo sounded distressed and his blood hunger was almost palpable.

"Shouta." All Might stopped Shouta from running inside, towards Hitoshi non stop screaming, "It's a bloodbath…" He warned the man while keeping his hold on Cujo tight, almost to the point of suffocation.

"Hitoshi-"

"Physically fine. He's…I think he's just scared-" Toshinori grunted as Cujo suddenly sunk his teeth into his arm. "Stop it!" He hissed at the quirk.

"Cujo- Cujo!" Shouta was suddenly trying to help unlatch Cujo from Toshinori's arm. "Cujo!"

Cujo had tears streaming down his face and turning the obscene amount of blood into pink watery streaks. He looked almost wild as he continued to try and fight his way out of Toshinori's strong grip. That's when it hit Shouta. He, like Hitoshi, was also scared but was expressing his fear violently.

"Look at me." Shouta had to grab Cujo's face with both of his hands and that touch was enough to make Cujo stop his struggle and, most importantly, release his hold on Toshinori's arm. "You need to calm down and let Izuku take control." Shouta instructed. "You're too volatile as it stands."

Cujo jerked his head out of Shouta's hands and just growled. "He hasn't stopped crying…" Cujo told Shouta in a low tone.

That wasn't comforting. As much as Shouta wanted to ask questions he knew he had another child to comfort. The one still screaming and sobbing inside of the house. "Stay here. Toshinori, watch him for me." Shouta instructed.

Toshinori gave a nod and Shouta turned his heel to walk into his home.

There was so much blood. It almost looked like the walls and ceiling of the main room was painted in blood. The blood dripped from the ceiling showing that the struggle was violent- or that violence was involved.

Hitoshi was on the floor, he wasn't coated in as much blood as Cujo but the blood was there, in his hair, on his clothes, and mostly on his hands and face. He was huddled on the floor and his screams were muffled as he had his hands against his mouth and eyes. Sobs and screams could be heard as he was softly rocking himself.

Shouta was quiet as he walked up to Hitoshi's trembling, shaking, and rocking form. "Hitoshi?" Shouta ignored the disembodied set of legs, stepping over one pair to get to his son. Shouta willfully ignored the fact that one pair of legs was currently wearing the same pants that Higashi had been wearing no more than five or ten minutes ago. Nope, he didn't see that, he couldn't see that. All Shouta focused on was his son and ignored everything else. "Hitoshi…" He got down on his knees and took a risk in touching Hitoshi. Hitoshi flinched harshly when Shouta's hand made contact with his back. "Shh…it's alright." Shouta whispered and gently pressed himself against Hitoshi once Hitoshi realized it was just him.

Hitoshi's breath hitched as his body continued to shake. His eyes were far away and glassy as he just stared at the bloody floor in front of him. Tears streaked down his cheeks as soft breaths caught in his throat. "It-..."

"Sh…" Shouta pulled Hitoshi's face into him as he helped coax Hitoshi into a sitting position.

"Mr. Higashi…"

"I know. It's okay."

"It's not! Mr. Higashi-" Hitoshi broke off into a fit of sobs and Shouta held him close. His son's sobs were muffled once again as he allowed himself to be held by his dad. "I couldn't do anything… I- I- I felt like I was four years old again."

"I know. I know. Just breathe for me. Can you do that- here-" Shouta reached behind him and grabbed Hitoshi's right hand. He then pulled the hand up to touch his, Shouta's, hair. Hitoshi's fingers curled into his father's locks. "How does it feel to you?" He kept his voice low while holding on to his son.

"...Course… like… hair." Hitoshi whispered lowly as he sniffled and then swallowed a shaky breath down. "Greasy…when's the last time you washed it?"

Shouta gave just the weakest chuckle and he reached up and ran his fingers through Hitoshi's own hair. "Can you stand?" He asked his son and he heard Hitoshi whine ever so softly.

"I… I don't want to look at their bodies- the blood…" His hands shook, the one hand still ensnared in Shouta's wavy locks was tugging on Shouta's hair with each quake of his hand.

"Okay…Okay." Shouta couldn't blame his son for his reaction. "I'm going to help you to your feet then and I'll help you out of the house…" He continued to run soothing hands and strokes along Hitoshi's scalp. It was like Hitoshi was that scared five year old again. The child with the endless nightmares that even Izuku couldn't help keep at bay on the worst of nights.

Shouta helped hoist Hitoshi to his feet while his son kept his face firmly planted against his father's neck. "Just let me lead you. Don't look." It was a little awkward having to lead Hitoshi out of the house. Having to listen to his own wet footsteps against the bloody floor, feeling blood drip from the ceiling and on to his head was not a pleasant experience and one he wishes he'll never feel again. He pushed it to the back of his mind and squished everything down for a later time. Maybe in the dead of night when his son might not need him to be strong right now.

They would make it outside and…

It just got worse. The cops were already here taking the fake neighbor away as well as-

"What the hell!" Shouta yelled when he saw that Cujo was on the floor an officer cuffing suppressants on him. "Toshinori, what the hell!?"

"Shouta…" Toshinori stepped up to him. His tone was gentle and wary as he took Hitoshi into consideration. "He killed two people-"

"-I didn't kill the first one! And I can bring them back! I keep telling you! They don't have to stay dead!" Cujo yelled but the officer clamped a muzzle firmly over his mouth.

"Whoa, whoa!" Shouta almost let go of Hitoshi but was stopped by Toshinori who put a firm hand on his chest.

"You can't stop it, Shouta-"

Cujo started to fade away, be it from the suppressants or from his own willingness, but his struggle died, his hair curled and Izuku was back in his place.

Izuku didn't struggle. He didn't scream, nor did he cry. He just allowed his head to hang limply as he was forced up to his feet by an officer.

"Wait-" Shouta had no say, no voice, as Izuku was put into a cop car. 'This can't be happening. It just can't be.' He almost-...he almost wanted to cry. "Toshinori, Cujo wouldn't just kill someone!"

"Did you not see the bodies in there? Do you not see the blood he's coated in? I know he's your son, but you can't just turn a blind eye to all of this! Not this time." Toshinori argued as he pushed Shouta back. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, really, he showed promise but Izuku clearly let his power slip. Something I was afraid of."

Oh, Shouta wanted to punch Toshinori in the mouth. Oh how he wanted to just sock the number one hero. But he didn't. He didn't because one: The cops were watching. And two: Hitoshi was still holding on to Shouta for dear life. The last thing he wanted was to cause his son even more distress.

It wouldn't be for hours until they finally got Hitoshi to calm down to explain what happened. Todoroki explained to the cops and Shouta that the guy who broke in killed Higashi; Cujo did not.

In an interrogation room, Hitoshi damned his brother. "Cujo took the intruder's quirk and killed him…over…and over…and over again."

That's all the cops needed, it's all the heroes needed to condemn Izuku and Cujo both.

Shouta argued. God, did he argue. He argued that if they just release Cujo and let him bring both Higashi and the intruder back then the sentence could be reduced. He argued that Cujo was just a child. That Cujo was hard to control. He argued so long and so loud that he lost his voice just to keep his child out of Tartarus for this.

Help came, again, in the form of Nedzu. When, at the end of the day, Shouta broke down in actual tears in front of his mentor and only whispered one sentence. "Please… he's just a child. He won't survive Tartarus…"

Nedzu worked through the night; and a deal was made by the morning.

Izuku was forced into a HSPC approved rehab for those with violent or sentient quirks. He had until the end of summer to keep Cujo under control, to stop the outbursts, and to have complete control over his quirk. If this proves futile then Izuku will be taken out of Shouta's custody and given to the HSPC…

Shouta would rather die than give his son to those monsters. But it was still better than Tartartus. So, as his current guardian, Shouta reluctantly took the plea.

Shouta did not want to leave his son for two weeks to go on this camping trip. He was going to have Snipe go in his place instead, however, it was Hizashi and Toshinori who talked him out of staying. Both made promises to watch over his son and visit everyday.

"Why do you even care at this point?" Shouta had angrily snapped at Toshinori. "You clearly hate him."

"I don't! I swear to you Shouta, I don't hate young Izuku."

"Cujo."

"...I don't hate him. I simply do not see eye-to-eye with him. But you have my word. I will visit Izuku, it's my job as his mentor to do as such. Especially since I no longer have to take Young Shoto in."

It's true. This whole ordeal was the push Nedzu needed to get the dorms approved. Dorms were being worked on as they spoke and by the time the students return in two weeks they'll be ready to officially go. While Shouta and Vlad were gone it was up to Hizashi and Toshinori to talk to the parents. As his temporary guardian Shouta already gave Shoto the go ahead to live there and stay as far away from his flaming trash of a father as possible, so, no Toshinori fostering him.

Shouta was still on the fence about leaving Izuku and it was Izuku that finally convinced him to go.

Izuku and him had to be separated by glass, which was stupid, when not in training he was on strong suppressants. Stuff that normal civilians can't get their hands on. Government level of medication. So strong that it turned Izuku's tongue a purple color.

Izuku looked bad. His eyes had heavy bags under them so dark and black that it looked like he'd been punched. His eyes were lifeless- haunted- and his cheeks gaunt. There was no smile on his face. No boyish good looks, just sadness. "You should go." Izuku told his father. "Don't stay behind because of Cujo and I."

"Izuku, I would be remiss as a father if I just left you here."

"No you wouldn't." Izuku looked like he was trying to smile, but it was clear that the smile was fake. "Dad, Cujo and I made our beds. You have a class to teach and we'll just drag you down. Focus on your class and by the time you come back in two weeks I'll have Cujo under control! Just you wait!"

"Kid- Izuku-"

Izuku cut him off with a smile, one that felt a little more genuine. "Hichan needs you, dad. I can't ask you to just focus on me. Focus on him. Give him your attention and care and when I get out of here then you can focus on me."

Shouta didn't really like that, but Izuku seemed desperate for him to go and focus on Hitoshi during this time after talking in circles about this, Shouta finally conceded. "Okay… Hizashi and Toshinori will be the ones to visit you while I'm gone. So, you won't be completely alone… how's Cujo? He's been quiet?"

"Hm?" Izuku darted down to his lap and bit his lip. "He's…fine. He's just ashamed of his actions and is scared that you…you hate him."

"I…I don't hate him. You hear that Cujo? I don't hate you."

Izuku kept gnawing on his lap before he nodded. "He heard you… but he still wants to keep his distance."

Shouta sighed at that but he understood.

Now, he's here. On the bus being led towards the camp. These two weeks were going to be long. But… god did he hope it would be worth it in the end.

He missed his son and right now the most he can do is make sure he helps his other son out of this dark place he put himself back into. It's been two days…and outside of talking to the police Hitoshi really hasn't spoken…

Cujo didn't understand…

He did the right thing. He protected Toshichan, Eri, and Shoto.

Yet…he was being punished and treated like he was the criminal.

And now- now he was being kept away from the other him.

He didn't understand.

This wall wasn't here before. It was a glass wall, he was able to see the other him and the other him was able to see him…but they couldn't speak to one another. Their telepathy was cut and any attempts to shout were in vain as they couldn't hear one another. They could finger spell to one another. What Izuku knows, Cujo knows, but this wall kept them apart. Any attempts of communication were cut completely. If they tried to finger spell it was like their fingers were blurred.

It's the suppressants the other him was put on Cujo would come to realize. Whatever these were, they weren't the same as the suppressants they had to take to stop Shouta's quirk, they were high grade and it showed when the other him opened his mouth to try to speak. His tongue tinged purple.

Cujo…

Cujo didn't mean for it to go this badly. He was just protecting his family. He was being a hero…wasn't he?

Cujo didn't like this. He didn't like being suppressed. He never wanted to be suppressed again after what Toshichan put him through, but here he was, suppressed and forced away from his host again.

He had his back to the wall, knees against his chest, and head down.

He was being good. So, why did he have to fuck it all up again! He lost everyone's trust! Nobody will ever love him.

'Then give them a reason to hate you.' That voice in the very back of his mind spoke sinisterly in his ear.

It was tempting. Oh so tempting. He still had this quirk. They never made him give it back, not that he could give it back to a dead body…

Still, when he looked over his shoulder through the glass wall, he saw Izuku. Izuku was also pressed against the wall, but not with his back towards Cujo, no, he was facing Cujo trying to reach out towards him.

Cujo felt his body relax and soften all at once. 'Hold on just a little while longer.' He decided. It should be over soon…right?

Izuku hates the silence. It's been so quiet since Cujo was basically taken from him. So silent and he hated it. He missed Cujo muttering along with him, missed hearing Cujo hum and haw about something. He missed Cujo.

'It got too far out of hand, but that's okay. I'll show that I have complete control over Cujo and we'll move on from this…I hope.'

Izuku hated this place. It was clean and just so cold. It reeked of disinfectant mostly which stung the inside of Izuku's nose. The staff stared at him like he was dirt beneath their feet, which Izuku was used to because he was thought to be quirkless. Turns out there was a hatred for sentient quirks that Izuku never realized was even there. At least a hate for quirks like Cujo. Quirks that can't be fully controlled and react out of anger. Quirks that kill.

Izuku's only been here for four days and he found solace in nobody. At least not in the other patients. The others were just like him. Wary and missing their quirks so they often don't talk to one another. However he did find solace in one person.

A male nurse: Inu Aijin.

The nurse was a man in his late twenties- early thirties. He had violently orange hair that stood up much like Hitoshi's own hair stood up. He had a thin mustache and goatee on his face of the same hair color. His skin was littered in bright blue freckles and when he smiled he had a gap between his two front teeth. It was the freckles that drew them together. Inu gushed over Izuku's freckles and Izuku admitted that he liked Inu's own freckles, the color that was.

Inu was nice. Probably the nicest nurse Izuku met. One morning when giving Izuku his breakfast, oatmeal, Izuku was shocked to find sugar at the bottom of his oatmeal. He wasn't supposed to have sugar, not because of his diet, but because of the fact the rehab didn't want them to have sugar. Izuku looked around and when his eyes fell on Inu the man winked at him before walking away.

Inu would give Izuku little gifts. Like a notepad and a pencil, he told Izuku to keep it hidden under his mattress. Which Izuku did so happily.

On the fifth day Izuku would confide in Inu. Told Inu about Hitoshi and his father. He even told Inu about Cujo and how Cujo was just a kid as he wasn't allowed to expand. Inu listened.

It was sad but Izuku would clutch onto Inu like a lifeline by the time the first week was officially over as Izuku had no one. Not his father, not Cujo, not Hitoshi, nobody has come to visit him yet and he was just so alone. They haven't even helped train him and Cujo and it's been a week.

The longer he stayed in the place the farther in the darkness he felt like he was sinking. The more into the void of depression he fell farther and farther. Which is why Inu was a godsend…

Inu ran his fingers through Izuku's locks as the two of them sat on Izuku's floor. Izuku didn't mind this. He was touchy with Hichan all the time and he missed the feeling of someone running their fingers through his hair. "When are we going to start training?" Izuku asked as he quietly wrote in his journal.

"Hm. Any Day now, I'm sure." Inu hummed.

Izuku sighed. "Please let it be soon. I can't train Cujo if I'm on suppressants."

"I'll talk to them about it." Inu stopped running his fingers through Izuku's hair and then stood up. "I have to go. Break is over. I'll bring you lunch."

"Okay…"

It pained Izuku to see Inu go.

He wanted Cujo, his father, his brother, or Shoto.

Was Izuku angry at Cujo? It was hard to say. Yes, he was mad that Cujo went too far. Cujo killed a man! But the responsibility falls on Izuku for letting go of Cujo and letting him go wild. He was just shocked at seeing Mr. Higashi's corpse- or what was left of it- that he let his own emotions take over. So, in Izuku's eyes, he belonged here. He failed and thus…

This would be his new normal for a little while longer.