Seeping into his nostrils is the scent of cider. It's an odor so ripe that Izuku's closed eyelids twitch in unison with his nose. Testing his consciousness just as much as his vision, he gradually blinks back the room's light to see a plate of apple slices set beside his bed. That explains the smell. Izuku tilts his chin up so that his gaze moves onward, his sight settling on Jirou who's cutting more pieces of the fruit with a peeler. There's something tied atop her head. The boy blinks, sharpening his vision, realizing the girl grew her hair out during her internship and tied it into a topknot.
"That's a good look for you…", Izuku surprises himself with the raspiness of his voice when he tries complimenting her appearance. Only then does it hit him how dry the interior of his mouth is, lips chapped, and throat parched; those apple slices are starting to look as appealing as they smell.
"Gah!", Jirou jumps in her seat with a startled shout. Seems she's shocked by the hoarseness of his speech too. She blushes, embarrassed; her ear jacks raise into a threatening position. "D- Dummy! Stop doing that!", she scares him in return before lowering the ear cords with a huff, "That's twice now…"
Izuku swallows some of his saliva to moisten his mouth as he contemplates what he'll say next. He takes in his surroundings, recognizing the familiarity of a hospital room. She's right. He's already put her through a similar shock after she came to check on him during the Sports Festival. "Sorry", he owes her an apology.
Jirou sighs, shaking her head. After a moment, her blush returns and she begins avoiding eye contact, her gaze focused on the apple that she's peeling. "You.. You really like my hair?", her timid tone takes Izuku by surprise with how much of a contrast it is to her earlier yelling.
He smiles, nodding. "It's cute", his compliment makes her blush turn from a light hue to a darker shade of red. He finds his face heating up too, as well as his body matching her fidgeting demeanor.
Jirou brushes a jack behind her ear like it's a stray strand of hair. "I got the idea from Momo–", Izuku's blank look makes her add clarification, "Yaoyorozu" And Izuku winds up raising his eyebrows as he wonders since when the two girls found themselves on a first name basis.
"Oh", he shrugs it off and nods to let her know he understands who she's referring to so that she can continue.
Jirou touches the tip of her topknot as she says, "But the ponytail is kinda her thing .. so I only went with a small style" When the girl glances back towards Izuku, she finds him staring at her chest. She quickly becomes flustered and shouts, "That's not what I meant!"
"I didn't say anything!", Izuku holds his hands up as a sign of surrender while simultaneously using them to shield himself from the girl's potential signature ear jack attack.
Jirou harrumphs, folding her arms over eachother to cover her chest. "I'll chalk it off as you being light headed from your blood transfusion", the girl then adds the last of the apple slices that she finished cutting to the plate.
"I didn't even say anything…", Izuku whines as he looks anywhere but at Jirou. He finds himself staring at the IVs and blood bags hooked into his arm.
Izuku inspects the connections a little before he reaches for the apples. But his fingers brush at air, Jirou pulls the plate away from his grasp. He looks up at her inquisitively.
"They're saying you went after the hero killer", Jirou returns his gaze with a glare. Izuku retracts his hand from the plate while wincing.
He leans back, resting against the pillows propped behind him with his eyes closed. "That was actually Iida, I was just trying to back him up", he feels the need to clarify things but internally apologizes to his friend for throwing him under the bus like that so easily. One eye peeling back open to catch a glimpse of Jirou's angry expression is enough to make him lose those regrets soon after though.
"You fought the hero killer all by yourself", Jirou's face softens when she glances at all of the hospital equipment connected to the boy, "You could've died…"
"Yeah…", Izuku subconsciously rubs his neck when recalling the beheading that he received from Stain. He'd had plenty of close calls during his battle with the hero killer and only came out unscathed thanks to his healing factor. Thanks to Pochita. He moves his hand down to hold the string that had been his dog's tail, giving it a squeeze, "But it all turned out alright in the end, didn't it?"
Jirou cranes her neck back, startled as though she's seeing something strange. Maybe she only heard a weird thing. Regardless, she can only sigh like always when dealing with the boy. It's no use. "You're alive, at the very least…", she pushes the apples back over.
Izuku happily snatches a piece of the fruit from the plate before shoving it into his mouth. Its juicy flavor makes him hum with pleasure. He winds up greedily grabbing more and more until there's nothing left. He has his mouth full, still chewing, when he hears Jirou clear her throat. Izuku looks up at her.
She meets his eyes and leans forward in her chair. "But you're still in trouble, ya know."
Izuku swallows. "I'll make it up to ya somehow", he sucks each of his fingers to lick any remaining residue that may be leftover from the apple.
"Not just with me!", Jirou huffs while restraining herself from jabbing the boy with her ear jacks. She raises her own hand to begin counting off her fingers, "Aizawa Sensei–", Izuku grimaces, "-Principal Nezu-", that one's no better. "Even Hawks and some lady are talking about you facing consequences", the last one makes him groan and lay back down.
He stares at the ceiling for a while, not thinking much of anything but taking it all in at the same time. After a while, he dares to speak up again, though his voice is now merely but a whisper as he asks, "I messed up that badly, huh?"
Jirou leans back in her chair, staring off into space with him. Whatever plentitude of nothingness he sees is the same thing she does. "Understatement of the semester, Midoriya."
Izuku turns his head, averting his gaze so that it lands on Jirou again. She's not noticed his staring yet. He opens his mouth, trying to formulate the right words, "...I've been thinking…"
Jirou smirks, glancing back at him for a moment to respond, "I'm impressed."
Izuku rolls his eyes, unable to help but smile too. "Thank you, it's the first time I've ever done that", he has to admit he hasn't made the wisest of decisions lately anyways.
Jirou giggles. Once she's through laughing, she asks, "What have you been thinking about?"
Izuku looks away, blushing. He might be able to admit to being a dumbass but he doesn't know if he can say this. "After all we've been through … Why don't we call eachother by our first names?", his stutter isn't so bad that Jirou hears him on the first try. She fixes her posture, shocked straight. "I- I mean- You and Yaoyorozu are okay with it", Izuku slouches with his demeanor and his blush goes deeper.
"Yeah, but she's a girl and you're a boy, and…" Jirou sputters and sweats but manages to compose herself. "Alright, fine", the two swap mannerisms and she squeaks out, "Just don't do it too much."
Izuku stares, eyes wide. His mouth hangs slack jawed until he closes it shut to make a smile. "Okay, Kyoka", he tests her name on his tongue.
And gets jabbed in the throat by her ear jacks, making him choke on the name. "I said don't do it too much!", Kyoka shouts while hiding her face to conceal her embarrassment. Izuku is too busy gasping for breath as he coughs and wheezes to see her in such a state though.
"Ah, young love", Recovery Girl coos from the corner of the room with a fond look in her eyes. That only flusters the boy and girl further, both of them caught being close and separating from one another. "But you should know better by now, young lady, to let somebody know when he comes to", the nurse shows pity on them by changing the subject.
"R- Right", Kyoka nods as she stands up in order to bow apologetically, "Sorry for not doing so sooner, Recovery Girl" But the elder heroine prods Kyoka with her cane to straighten her posture, waving it off.
"Just remember it for next time", the nurse passes each of the teenagers by to reach the room's door. It's not until she's sliding it open that they each share a glance with one another after registering her words.
"Next time…?", both the boy and girl gulp at the implication of having to visit the nurse's station again under any circumstances.
Recovery Girl steps aside so that four figures can enter. The first of which is about her height, the small white mammal that so happens to be the principal of U.A. Followed by Aizawa and Hawks. The hero Izuku interned under gives him a small wave but it doesn't come across as very assuring. Not when the final person to enter is the director of the HPSC, Makima.
The red haired woman meets Kyoka's eyeline in passing, golden gaze sending shivers down the young girl's spine. When Makima stops, she stops at the front of Izuku's bed. Hawks stands beside her while Nezu and Aizawa mirror them from the opposite end. Recovery Girl signals for Kyoka to come with her. After looking back to share a glance with Izuku, receiving a nod of encouragement, she exits. The room's door slides shut behind her.
Makima, as calm and dignified as ever, begins by saying, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Mister Midoriya."
Izuku glances between the opposing duos before shifting in his bed to better address them all. "Can't say I feel the same way under these circumstances", his murmur is just loud enough to be heard over the beeping monitors.
Aizawa hides his amusement by tucking his lower face into the capture cloth wrapped around his neck like a scarf. Hawks looks away to conceal his own smile. Nezu, on the other hand, doesn't bother stifling his tiny titter. "It's our collective understanding what this discussion is about then", U.A's principal hops up onto the chair that Kyoka had been occupying before clasping his paws together, "We can skip pleasantries and get straight to the point of the matter."
Izuku stares down at his hands, balling them into fists. When he looks up, his gaze is as hardened as his tone of voice, "Stain…"
"Or rather, your little tussle with Stain", Aizawa glowers in such a way that Izuku half expects his teacher to activate his quirk. The boy shrinks under the man's glare.
Hawks sighs, standing off to the side. He takes one look at Izuku and can't help but show some sympathy on his face. But that's all he can do for the boy, "I told you to stay put, kid."
"Authorizing the use of force with one's quirk, the government keeping everyone on a leash to maintain control, is a matter of complying with hero law", Makima fixes Izuku with a stern stare as she speaks, "Inflicting harm without explicit permission, even to face someone such as Stain, is a breach of that contract" The woman's gaze then takes a shift to glance sidelongingly at Nezu. "As such, we are left to deal with you impartially in order to maintain society's quirk laws", her mouth morphs into some semblance of a smile when U.A's principal can only nod in agreement.
Izuku opens and closes his mouth, overwhelmed by what he's hearing. He eventually finds it in him to speak out and defend himself, "It's not like I went looking for Stain–"
"Manual and other testaments say otherwise, that you had the gull to order they stay put while you pursue the hero killer", Aizawa interrupts with a sharp tone that makes the boy flinch. While Izuku never had a father present to fully understand, he knows that the man is disappointed in him more than justifiably angry.
"That's not it at all! I was looking for Iida cause Stain so happened to be there!", Izuku becomes more desperate as he looks around him at all the serious stone cold faces.
"Young Tenya Iida will be facing repercussions for his actions too", he gasps when he realizes he made a mistake by throwing his friend's name out in the open to take partial blame. "However, this particular conversation is not about him", Nezu moves his paws behind him as Izuku slumps back onto his bed, "It's about you."
"This is a circumstance not easily dismissed", Makima turns in the direction of Hawks so that he can join her at the forefront of the boy's bedside. "Not only was your reckless abandon to challenge the hero killer a clear violation, but to make matters more solidified, you disobeyed a direct order from your instructor to undergo ANY sort of hero activity that night", she gestures towards Hawks as though to present him in court before a judge and jury.
Izuku looks at his mentor with wobbly eyes on the brink of shedding tears. Hawks hangs his head, unable to meet the boy's gaze. "Sorry, kid, I had to tell them the truth about what exactly happened and how it happened from my end", his heart pangs since he knows that means he basically betrayed the boy and he's now admitting it outloud.
Izuku sniffles, drying his eyes with a wipe of his sleeve. "Okay, to be fair, you did tell me to wait on the train – but Iida would've died if I had", he does his best to keep his composure while glancing in the direction of Nezu and Aizawa for support.
But he finds none. "Is your faith in U.A really that lacking? Did you not think I would be aware of my student's internship choice and not be able to deduce why he'd pick someone in Hosu? I was tracking Iida and fully prepared to intervene myself", Aizawa steps forward to share more strained displeasure with his attitude.
Which causes Izuku to do a double take. "What?! Then where the hell were you?!", it's his turn to express some anger when looking back on his encounter with Stain while now having such knowledge.
Nezu holds up a paw, signaling for the boy to settle down. "Come now, Midoriya, maintain some respect for your teacher", the small mammal stresses with his tone that they not get into a shouting match.
"The attack led by the league of villains was unprecedented", Aizawa takes a step back as he reflects on the night and grumbles out the rest of his answer, "I was delayed in lending any assistance."
"I meant no disrespect…", Izuku mumbles his own response while trying to bow from his position on the hospital bed. "But my point still stands! If not for me, Aizawa Sensei would've been too late to do anything!", though that doesn't mean he's willing to surrender his argument just yet.
Hawks lets out a strong exhale before pointing out, "All we know is that your interference wasn't enough to keep us from recovering the corpse of the pro hero Native" And that feels like a verbal backhand to the boy. "It's hard to give a defense about the preservation of life when Iida ran away and the only other person present was killed", Hawks tries to be gentle as he says the rest but he can tell the damage has already been done if Izuku's downcast gaze is anything to go by.
"Unfortunately, you provided us with no results to convince anyone otherwise", Makima moves to take Hawks' position at the head of the bed and adds, "Not even the hero killer's capture."
Nezu hums, accepting that fact with all the others. "We had originally planned on making it appear as though Endeavor fought Stain on your behalf, but there's no proof without a body to show burns as evidence", Nezu pauses as he considers the plausibility of any chances to still manufacture a fib of some kind but is unable, "And all of the eyewitnesses present for the tail end of your fight saw firsthand Stain was covered in lacerations instead of burns or other potential injuries."
"Chainsaw lacerations", Makima specifies the glaring concern with what Nezu pointed out. "Indisputable", she takes a step closer and then another step, "Undeniable" She's looming over Izuku now as she says, "You must take accountability this time."
"This time?", Izuku's voice is but a timid mewl as Makima's shadow casts over him.
"I'm afraid what transpired prior to now, while usually inexcusable, was accounted for by I and the courteous Hero Public Safety Commission", Nezu leans against the back of the chair he's on as he lowers his head to convey guilt. Izuku nods to show both pity and appreciation.
"You had under the table dealings?", but Aizawa isn't so willing to let his boss off the hook. He stares with disbelief at the mammal, "Pertaining to a student, no less?"
Nezu closes his eyes, bobbing his head. "I'm afraid I was gambling with the devil, as they say" He reopens the black beady orbs to stare back at Aizawa when his voice cracks to admit, "I just never imagined I would lose."
"Lose?", Aizawa's eyes narrow. Even without his quirk active, the man's hair starts to stand on end. He grinds out through gritted teeth a demand for an answer more than a request, "Lose. What."
"Rather than take Midoriya into police custody, we've reached an agreement that the Commission will be taking custody and assuming full responsibility for Midoriya", Makima provides Aizawa with an explanation before the principal can.
"What?!", but that answer only raises more questions and concerns for Izuku, "What does that mean?!"
Nezu turns his gaze to the boy, dark eyes glistening in a way they seldom do to express a deep sincere somberness. "I'm afraid it means, once the paperwork is finished being filed, you will no longer be a student of U.A", Nezu shares with Izuku the brunt of the bad news.
"What?!", he still can't fathom the reality of what he's being told. It gets worse and worse. His dreams shattered, he allows tears to spill, unable to hold them back any longer.
"What about Midoriya's hero career?", Aizawa grabs Nezu by the arm with a firm grip, "He's still my student" He's losing his own composure with what more that gets unveiled.
"Not anymore, Eraserhead" Hawks chimes in with his voice raised to gain the man's attention. Once Aizawa releases Nezu and faces him, the hero elaborates with what he hopes is the silver lining in all of this, "Midoriya's in my care from now on" He directs a glance towards Izuku to inspire some optimism towards him as well, "We aren't getting rid of eachother that easily, kid. Don't worry, I'll keep ya under my wing." He even adds an encouraging wink.
Aizawa steps into the other hero's space, getting up close and personal. "Do you understand what it means to watch over a child in order to ensure their growth into an adult?", his voice is a low growl that threatens to defeather the bird.
But Hawks keeps his cool. "All too well", he recalls being a kid himself and places a hand on Aizawa's shoulder in order to assure him, "He'll be in good hands" Though he can't help but toss a backwards glance in the direction of Makima while adding, "So long as I'm around."
Makima catches the look, still maintaining a smile. "As an agent of the Commission, Midoriya's mentorship program will allow him to fast track gaining his hero license", the HPSC Director separates Hawks from the U.A representatives and instead casts their focus back to whom the entire matter revolves around, "His future is more secured now than ever."
Izuku finds it hard to speak, but just as difficult to swallow whatever words rest on his tongue. He resists the urge to touch his neck, feeling as though there's something restricting his throat. For some reason, he's starting to believe he's more of an animal than the mammal that runs U.A. Izuku's control taken from him, he's no better a pet to the Commission than Hawks being kept in a bird cage with his wings clipped. He starts to realize what this feeling is. He's been collared by Makima.
Meanwhile, Tomura Shigaraki has acquired his own personal pet project. Floating in a tube sized to fit a human body, Stain sleeps within a chemical bath of gelatinous liquid. Wires feed into the hero killer akin to the medical equipment currently attached to Izuku within his hospital room, except, these connectivities serve a different purpose. Leering with a simper stretching across his scarred mouth, Shigaraki enjoys what Doctor Garaki cooks up.
The mad scientist goes through the usual recycled treatment of enhancing human genetics, the DNA formula for a basic Nomu genome, gradually transforming the mortal being into a monster. As for what idiosyncrasy will be applied to the newly acquired model, that's been left up to the young master of evil. Shigaraki hadn't suggested anything original or entirely unique. Instead, he requested something ironic. Something suitable to Stain's core functionality.
Protrusions from the figure's arms, instruments that the base body has ingrained skill to use, shimmer with sharpness. An equal extension is attached to the hero killer's skull. It's a mimicry of the boy with the chainsaws. It's something concocted personally for the brat. A rival to the hero hopeful. A hero killer. A villain. Garaki and Shigaraki admire their creation with sadistic glee.
"The Nomu should be fully operational within the next few weeks", Garaki gives his time estimation as he reads the status report output from his tablet. He half expects the young master of evil to complain about the wait. Instead, Shigaraki laughs, causing Garaki to glance up.
"No. Not Nomu. Let's give this one a special name", Shigaraki feels something blossom in his chest that he wasn't able to feel when he was gifted Pochita as a pet. This feeling, new and unfamiliar to him, puts him in a good mood. He keeps his pinky raised as he places his hand against the testing tank.
Garaki, though pleased to see the young master admiring his handiwork, feels a sense of unease. It's uncanny. Maybe Shigaraki takes after his Sensei afterall. "Oh?", his mustache bristles as he forces a smile.
Shigaraki nods, grinning. "I'm thinking… Katana Man."
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Bet you weren't expecting another chapter so soon!
