Midori The Girlfriend

Author's Note: You guys are keeping me busy with the votes! I'm so happy you're all taking a vast interest in the final product. If all goes well you all might even get a special surprise at the end of the fic. What is it? You'll just have to wait and see!

Chapter 10: Cause and Effect

Iida didn't know what was happening. All the truths and reasons he'd convinced himself of were now turning to lies and excuses. What had he done? He was supposed to be the one to finish off the Hero Killer, or would have died trying to do so finding some stupid honor in that. What he'd gotten was a slap to the face, and a waste of the precious life he'd been honored to have. He lay broken and bleeding, watching as his friends stood for him, swore to protect him and face the evil before them.

He'd dragged them into this.

Todoroki was bleeding and yet he stood firm. Izumi had been shaking from fear and yet still she stood against the evil. Why were they getting involved? Why had he allowed that to happen?

He watched Izumi dark like a bolt of lightning across the alley, her speed amazing even more so than it had been in the Sport Festival. She could match his engine boost power… maybe even recipro. Her training and internship were serving her well, she had taken full advantage of the pluses Endeavor offered, including her teamwork with Todoroki.

He could see it, their teamwork. Without even having to speak to each other they were able to gage each other's movements and work diligently. Stain was struggling to keep up, to keep focus… and it was making him wild and feral. He was bruised up from Izumi's punches and kicks and sweating from exertion and Todoroki's fire. His blades moved erratically in the air and his eyes danced with a sort of wild hunger.

Izumi thrust her hand out knocking one of the blades away with a blast of air and she had to bounce off the wall to dodge the second he thrust with.

"Izumi!" Shoto called out to his partner when he saw Stain rise above her and out of her field of vision. She looked up and was barely able to dodge a fatal blade, but still it knicked her across the leg and she bled. She fell to the ground and was barely able to brace on the wall before he'd tasted her blood and left her on the ground paralyzed.

Her eyes flung upward fear making her pale and she couldn't even bring up an arm to defend herself. Shoto shot out fire protecting her from his attack.

"Izumi! Are you alright!?"

"I can't… move!" She struggled again trying to force free the grip Stain's quirk had on her. "Be careful!" She lifted her eyes up keeping them on stain. "From the right! Ice him!"

Shoto didn't hesitated, he shielded himself and the others with a wall of ice, wary to hit Izumi he sent it straight up.

"Stop… please… just get yourselves out of here." Iida pleaded as tears spilled down his cheeks. "I"ve already…"

"If you want to stop us then GET UP!" Shoto shouted between grit teeth. He saw blades started to crack into it and he fisted his left hand. "I know your pain, Iida, I know you're struggling… but all I can say to you is look properly at what you want to be!"

Blades sliced the wall into shards and he flared up his left letting the fire blaze and rip through the air. Stain dodged and ducked through the air avoiding being heavily burned, but still scarred from the rush of heat.

Izumi tried to brace herself up more to become less of an obstacle. Her eyes briefly met Iida's, and he saw the tears in them, the worry, the fear. Yet she looked past it, continued to shout, and fight with Shoto even while laying paralyzed. Her eyes darted around now, following Stain's movements, her voice shouted out directions and cues for Todoroki to follow. Todoroki listened, reacted with split second decision, and he felt the trust and the teamwork. The two of them were incredible.

Look properly at who he wanted to be? He wanted to be a hero his brother and the rest of his family could be proud of. He wanted to be the kind of hero his brother was, cool, supportive, kind. Instead what he had become was a false name, staining his brother's image by using the name Ingenium for revenge.

He needed to get up, he couldn't just lie here if he wanted to be the hero he'd always wanted to be. He couldn't catch up to his friends and classmates by laying here and playing the victim. He had to stand, he couldn't let them bleed for him anymore.

His fingers started to move and he pushed himself upright, his body free of the hold and he panted, eying the battle again.

"SHOTO!" Izumi screamed as Stain managed to duck in and get close, cutting under Todoroki's guard and ready to slice him across the chest.

Iida punched to Recipro… jetting forward and using the split second speed to cross the distance and stop the blade before it hurt his friend, and broke it neatly in two. The others had only moments to react before he was shifting again and using the extra boost to send the Hero killer skidding away from Todoroki.

"Iida-kun!" Izumi's happy tears spilled out. Her heart had dropped into belly at the sight of Shoto nearly losing his arm and she had the sick urge to faint but just let her body relax.

"You got free?" Shoto asked, his own face pale from the close brush with death. "That work isn't as powerful as I thought it was."

"Todoroki-kun, Midoriya-chan, this has nothing to do with you. I apologize for getting you involved. I won't let you two bleed for me anymore." Iida said with a fierce glare in his eye.

"It's useless trying to reform for appearance's sake." Stain, bleeding at the palm from Iida's attack on his blade, sneered in response. "You're just a fake who prioritizes one's selfish desires. You're cancerous to the world of heros."

"You're an anachronistic fundamentalist… Iida don't listen to the logic of a murderer."

"No, he's right. I have no right to call myself a hero." Iida said with shame in every word, blood dripping from his shoulders and down his shiny metal plate. Izumi saw the red and went a little sick. There was so much blood. Just how deep was his wound? "Even so I cannot give in! If I give in, then Ingenium will die!"

"Out of the question!" Stain's eyes were so dilated it was as if they'd disappeared completely. The frightening look had Shoto shoving Iida back and setting the area completely ablaze. Native shouted at them to run, that they were being stupid and should save themselves, but Shoto didn't want to listen.

"I doubt he'll give me the option of doing that! Something in his eyes just changed… he's flustered." The guy was getting frustrated, Shoto realized. He was taking on too many opponents at once. His quirk wasn't as powerful as it appeared to be when dealing with multiple people, and there was the uncertainty of blood type.

And Yet despite the odds against him Stain was going bonkers. He was desperate to kill Iida and Native before the other pros arrived. That desperation and crazy tenacity was exactly what was making him dangerous.

"Izumi!" He called out to his partner hoping she had an eye on him.

"Above!" She shouted to him and was managing to get to one knee. She felt her movement coming back, but the cut to her leg was bad, more so than she realized.

Iida looked down at his engines as they began to fail. Recipro had ended and he was left stalled. "Todoroki-kun, can you regulate temperature?"

"I'm not used to it with my left yet, why?" He sent the flames out keeping Stain at a distance, his attention staying focused on his opponent.

"Freeze my legs, without plugging the exhaust!"

Shoto turned his eyes off his opening just for a moment and Stain took his opening, he shot knives out and Iida thrust his body out taking them in the shoulder.

"Iida-kun!" Izumi struggled to stand up, her leg buckling as it bled. "Damn it…. Up Izumi!" Her body glowed as she pushed her limit out… One For All 30%... 40% She grit her teeth as her leg bled and she jumped into the air. Her fist rest poised and she punched the air, the ice Todoroki had build up shattered around her, and Stain was sent spiraling. She ignored the pain and leapt shooting across the building to meet him up and her fist met his face.

"Recipro EXTEND!" Iida shouted from below and as Izumi fell Iida soared past his kick flipping Stain's already limp body into spirals. A hot blaze of flame spun past him hitting the mark and finishing the job.

Shoto sent out an ice spiral to catch Izumi and he knelt to catch her on the slide while still poising his left. Iida slipped down beside them smacking his head on the back of the ice making him wince.

"Stand up Iida… he's sure to… wait-" Shoto trailed off when Stain didn't move. He'd fallen at the top of the ice rift, and lay motionless across it. "Is he… unconscious?"

"We all hit him pretty hard. I didn't hold back." Izumi winced and clutched her leg as it bled. "I'm pretty sure Iida broke one of the guy's ribs, I heard it crack on my way down. Then you roasted him to finish the job."

"Still…" He glanced back at Native who was finally able to move and stand up walking over to them. He'd never seen such a crazy display, nor such talent from students so young.

"Let's get him tied up and take away his weapons. We'll need to get him to the police as soon as possible. No sense taking anymore risks." Native suggested and all were in agreement. Shoto melted the ice to lower him to the ground, and they got to work finding materials in the trashcans and dumpsters to tie him up. They removed a small arsenal of knives and piled them together.

Native helped Izumi up hoisting her onto his back. "I gotcha little warrior."

"Um... you were injured too weren't you, Native?" Izumi flustered a but her body sore from pushing her limits and her legs bleeding still.

"I am, but it's not as bad as the ones on your legs. He cut you pretty deep. Give me this at least." He asked her, his voice a little eager. Though he was happy they were all okay, it made him feel a bit inadequate to be saved by a bunch of kids.

"Thanks you…" She blushed and glanced back at Shoto and Iida who were finishing gathering up the villain. "Are you guys okay?"

"We can walk, Izumi…" Shoto told her and gripped the rope holding Stain.

"Todoroki-kun, please, let me at least-"

"You injured your arms… don't worry about it." He motioned him forward and Todoroki took up the rear with Stain being dragged behind him. They made it out onto the street and Izumi immediately felt relief swamp her. Even though the battle had ended five full minutes ago, she could feel the ease of it hitting her once they were out in the open.

"THERE YOU ARE!" Gran Torino jet up and slammed his foot in Izumi's face making her grunt and shake her head groaning. "Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you kid? There's monster villains crawling all over and you and Todoroki just up and disappear! Gave an old man's poor heart a scare!"

"Gomen, Gran Torino… it's just-" Izumi started to apologize but she heard the voices and footsteps of others approaching.

From atop the water tower Shigaraki Tomura was watching the progress of his attack slowly die. Irritation had him snarling and scratching at his neck. There was only one Nomu left, and he was flying back towards him, fleeing from Endeavor who had taken out the other two single handedly.

"Tch… I didn't have nearly as much fun as I'd have liked. Oh well… maybe this last one can kill Hero Killer for me…" He used his binoculars to scan the area for the creep… and spotted something else instead.

Why was SHE here? Why did she always seem to pop up where he didn't want her!?

Irritation had him scratching harder at his neck… she'd taken out Hero Killer, along with several other brat kids he recognized. He couldn't even enjoy killing that fool without having her in the picture… Damn it! Stupid bitch… he should punish her!

Punish… her….

"Nomu…" He spoke aloud, knowing it would hear him. His eyes went to Izumi again with laser focus. "Bring her to me."

Apologizing was a bitter taste, but Iida swallowed it knowing he was fully in the wrong. The pain of the fact he'd brought two good friends in on his revenge, and caused them to suffer was more than his pride could bear and he bowed to them, tears spilling.

"I'm so sorry! Midoriya-chan, Todoroki-kun. Despite everything, even after you lecture me Todoroki I still managed to drag you in and you got her. I just… I couldn't see anything beyond my pain and anger."

Izumi, lowered from Native's back hobbled on her cut legs to hug him and she stroked his hair. "I'm sorry too, Iida. I'm sorry I couldn't give you the comfort you needed, and been a better friend."

"Pull yourself together…" Shoto stood beside them, completing the ring of three. "You're the class rep after all."

"Mmm yes," Iida pulled back limply using his shoulder to dry his tears. "You're right."

Izumi stepped back her smile soft and warm on him. She didn't take immediate notice of the figure in the sky zipping through the dark and going right at them.

"Villain!" Gran Torino shouted and Izumi didn't even have time to whip around before the Nomu's claws clutched around her and hoisted her up off the ground. She felt it's talon digging into her side and she choked out a scream, it's grip too tight for her to break free.

"IZUMI!" Shoto shouted his left side flaring up but Iida pulled him back.

"No don't! At this angle you'd only hit her!"

"Someone help her then!" Shoto screamed and shoved free to run after it and keep it in his sight. "IZUMI!"

"SHOTO!" Izumi screamed back at him her hands trying to pry the talon's from her belly. The Monster Nomu made a struggling sound and Izumi glanced up looking up at it's face. It had been injured before, she'd seen its blood dripping as they'd flown, but something else was inhibiting its movements. "What?"

"This society overgrown with fake heroes!" Stain suddenly spoke catching everyone off guard with his sudden movement.. He darted past Shoto and leapt up on top of the beast. "Criminals who wave their power around idly!" He brought the knife he'd used to cut his ropes down harshly into the brain tissue of the nomu and sent it careening into the street. As it's legs flailed up Stain grabbed Izumi' by the back of her costume saving her from the fall but then using the leverage to pin her down the moment they landed. "I shall purge them all!" He cut his blade free of the brain tissue and had guts and blood flying.

"Did… he just save her?" One of the sidekicks asked confused.

"Iidot, he took a hostage. He just killed that thing without a qualm." Another said.

"At any rate prepare to fight!"

Shoto stopped in mid run his breath panting out as he stood in the halfway point between Izumi and the other heroes. "Let her go!" Stain glanced over his shoulder at Shoto, Izumi pinned under his tight grip on her head. Fingers curled in her hair. The sight of it sickened him and Shoto stepped toward him again screaming. "I SAID LET HER GO!"

"Shoto don't… don't provoke him…" Izumi squirmed and her voice struggling not to panic. She held out a hand trying to motion him back. "Please, don't."

"What are you all standing around for? The villain should've escaped this way!" Endeavor called out to the other heroes as he jogged up, and paused taking notice of the situation. His son completely ignored him, his eyes focused on a figure who had Izumi pinned on the ground. He narrowed his gaze and a sinister gleam came in his eye.

"Hero Killer…"

"Endeavor…" Stain, struggling to gain his balance, stood up. He let go of Izumi letting her hair slip between his fingertips. Endeavor fired up his arm ready to take the big bad villain down, but Gran Torino held out a hand.

"Wait, Todoroki!" The sharp command in his voice halted Endeavor's attack immediately.

Izumi twisted her body the moment her weight was free. Stain turned to face the others and his mask slipped off. Izumi went pale at the sight of his scarred and frightening face… but it wasn't the scarring that scared her, but the demented craze in his eyes.

"You Fakes…" he said in a chilling rasp. Shoto who was the closest had to take a step back as the threat and stare chilled him to the bone. "Someone must be dyed in blood tonight. I must set things right." He took one step, then two, each word and movement like a stab of fear in the gut. "I must take back what it means to be a hero! So Come! Try and get me you fakes! The only one I'll let kill me is the true hero… ALL MIGHT!"

Shoto fell back on the ground his arms trembling as the man stood over him. No one could move, no one could say or do anything against such a menacing force.

The clink of the knife was like the ringing of an alarm. Izumi felt as though she'd awaken from a nightmare, pale, clamming, her body shaking uncontrollably. Stain stood where he was, unconscious, but still standing up to face his opponents. She crawled forward, and her movement finally snapped Shoto back and he shakily moved around the unconscious figure and straight to her and grabbed her close. As the Pros dealt with the unconscious Stain, the two of them held onto each other for support, and comfort.

~The Next Day~

They'd all gotten lectured. It was expected considering they were all still students without certifications. It was decided since the details of the incident wasn't vastly well known the credit for subduing and capturing the Hero Killer would go to Endeavor to prevent them all from being severely punished for the excessive use of their quirks. Still, it felt good to have the Chief of Police thank them personally for apprehending the criminal. Even if only one person thanked them it was enough in Izumi's mind.

Because of the discretion of their injuries and story they were all kept in the same hospital room, a curtain separating her side from the boys, but she kept it open when she wasn't being examined. The three of them were too restless from the previous night's events to get any kind of sleep.

"Your phone's been going off for awhile now, Izumi." Shoto mentioned nodding his head to the vibrating metal on her side table. "You sent that message to everyone in your contacts list, you'll have a lot of explaining to do now that everyone knows about the Hero Killer incident."

"You're right… your dad's press conference is all over the media now, and since our entire class knows we're interning with him they probably know we were involved." She picked up her phone, and went blue in the face. "Geh! Fifty missed calls?!" Half of them were from Bakugo. She punched in voicemail and jolted at the sound of his screaming voice.

"BAKA WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THIS MESSAGE?! WHY ARE YOU IN HOSU!? WHAT'S GOING ON!?"

Beep

"ANSWER THE GODDAMN PHONE USAGI!"

Beep

"I CALLED THE POLICE AND TOLD JEAN FACE. YOU BETTER BE ALIVE DAMN IT!"

Beep

"IT'S BEEN FOUR HOURS USAGI, WHY HAVEN'T YOU CALLED ME!?"

Beep

"Please…" the next message had Izumi listening in close and her chest aching. "Please just call me and tell me you're okay."

She turned off voicemail and pulled off the covers. Grabbing her crutch she stumbled up. "I'm gonna go make those calls. If the nurse comes in for checks tell her I'll be right back." She hobbled out.

Shoto and Iida watched her leave. Both of them had overheard the majority of Bakugo's messages, but the last one and Izumi's reaction to it made them uneasy.

"Are you okay with it, Todoroki-kun?" Iida finally broke the awkward silence.

"I don't know what you mean…" Shoto brushed it off rolling onto his side to face the window.

"You gave me advice and wisdom when I didn't want it, at least let me return the favor." Iida shifted to the far end of his bed. "Even though I was distracted by my own problems I know of the terms of your relationship with Midoriya. Are you really okay with her still having feelings for him?"

"Of course, I'm not, but I've accepted it." He gripped his pillow, having the desperate urge to shove it over his head.

"Have you? The two of you were very much insync, and working well together. You make an ideal partnership… but the minute Bakugo-kun is in the picture there's this unbearable tension and distrust the two of you have. I saw it in the way you watched her listen to his messages."

Distrust… what a perfect way to sum it. As his partner he could trust her to handle herself in a fight. He knew she was strong, he knew she had abilities and power that would make her a fine hero… but as his girlfriend did he trust her to stay loyal to him?

He trusted her to keep her promise, to try and figure out her emotions and tell him if her feelings for him changed… but was that really what he wanted? No, he thought immediately and sat up again, his eyes filled with forlorn. He wanted her to love him, only him, like he knew she was the only one for him.

"I know what you're saying, Iida… but even if I can't trust her to love me back… I don't want to lose her to Bakugo."

"If she does love Bakugo and not you, then her being in a relationship with you won't stop that."

Shoto clenched his teeth, and he felt the icy stab of truth. Pain boiled and ripped in his chest, and when the nurse and doctor came in to examine their wounds, he sat motionless, and suffered through it.

~Later That Night~

The call with Bakugo had put her in a better mood. Despite the seriousness of the situation he still managed to make her laugh with his quips and half assed insults. Still the surprising concern and worry in his tone had warmed her, and she felt good knowing even though he was far from her, he still did his best to help her in his crisis. He'd even begged Best Jeanist to take him down to Hosu, but the hero declined and they went with other methods of support.

When she went to sleep, she found herself plagued by nightmares, and ended up tossing and turning before being shaken awake by Shoto.

"Izumi, Izumi… are you alright?" He leaned over her with his hand on her forehead. "You've got a fever, I'll call the nurse."

"Hmmm? Wha? no! No I'm okay…. Just a nightmare." She ran a hand over her warm and sweaty face and slowly sat up. She looked over to the other bed seeing Iida's bed empty. "Where's Iida-kun?"

"Taking a walk, he couldn't sleep either." He sat on the edge of her bed. "I know he said he wanted to live with the scars, but I think he's still debating on having the surgery."

"He won't take it…" Izumi said confidently staring down at her own scarred fingers. "He wants the scars as a reminder. I know how he feels" Her eyes narrowed when she looked up to his face. "You don't really think you're cursed do you, Shoto?"

"Everyone around me seems to be getting hurt. May not just be hands but… first my mother was put in the hospital, then my classmates, you, Iida, People I've come to care about always seem to end up here." He turned so his back was to her. "It's irrational, and illogical… but it's how I feel."

"Shoto…" she laid a hand on his back, felt him tense up. "You're not cursed. Bad things happen, we're heroes it's part of the job description. Even All Might has his battle scars." She thought of the wound on her mentor's torso and closed her hand into the back of his shirt. "You have your own scars too… scars no one can see. Every scar, every bad thing that you ever suffered and survived through will show you in the future just how far you've grown."

"Every pain I've suffered?" His chest ached again as he thought of his talk with Iida. "What if it's a pain I never recover from?"

"You will…" She felt a bit of a panic in her voice and she now gripped both hands in his shirt laying her head on his back. "You will because you're strong, Shoto!"

"I'm not as strong as you think…" he turned, grabbing the hands that slipped from his shirt and he pulled her in his mouth taking hers in a deep long kiss that left her skin humming. There was something, possessive, and frightening in the way he was kissing her. Like he was trying to cling onto every inch of her and not let go. The surprise of that, the emotional wave she felt from him, had tears dripping down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry…" he said realizing she was crying. He slowly released her hands to brush the tears away. "I didn't mean to force you like that."

"You didn't…" she gave him a shaky smile as another tear fell. "It's an emotional moment, girl's cry."

"Izumi…" He cupped her face in his hands and let the second kiss just smooth over the tension. He then let his head rest on hers as his own tears fell. "I love you."

"I know…" She cried with him holding him close and letting him cling on.

"You won't say it back… you're still not sure if it's what you feel."

"No… I know I love you… but do you want me to say it when I also feel the same for Kacchan?"

His breath hitched and his body shook even as he clung onto her.

"I do… I want to hear you say it. Just once, please."

"Okay…" She pulled back just enough so her face tipped up to his, she saw the tears, and the guilt flooded that she was making him hurt and suffer. Her hands cup his face and she brought his forehead to hers. "I love you, Shoto."

"Izumi…" He smiled even as the tears slipped down. "Thank you."

"No, thank you for loving me."

Here it was, Shoto thought. Everything he wanted was here in his arms, everything he loved, and admired he held close to him. Now he had to do the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life… and let it go.

"Izumi… I think we should break up."

~Ask Briry~

Briry: *digs a trench and waits for the barrage of hate mail* NO QUESTIONS SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER!

Next Chapter: The True Goal