Izuku crouched next to Aizawa-sensei, Tsuyu on his other side. The rooftop they were on was still a little damp from the rain earlier the day before. Izuku was glad it had stopped before they started patrolling. Patrolling in the rain was bad enough during the day but in the middle of the night? Izuku shivered. Although Tsuyu would probably enjoy it.
He glanced at Aizawa. After class 1-A had graduated into 2-A, he had started taking them out on patrol with him for a couple of nights a week, usually one or two students at a time. Izuku and Tsuyu were the last ones to join him. Izuku had been anticipating— dreading— this patrol for the last two months. The rest of the class had horror stories of Aizawa relentlessly pushing them and demanding more than they thought possible. But they all came back from the patrols in one piece and better heroes for it.
Now that Izuku was here though, he was feeling a little letdown. They'd been patrolling the entire night and the most they had done was wait on a rooftop for someone called Root. Aizawa had explained the man had been a ghost for years with a hand in various underground criminal organizations working mostly as a broker of sorts. Only recently had he started to come out of the shadows. Since they didn't know the details of his quirk, Aizawa had been tasked with tracking him down and bringing him in.
But as the sun crept over the horizon and the city began to wake up, Izuku doubted they would get any closer to catching the guy today. That was Izuku's first mistake.
"Aizawa—" Tsuyu started but was quickly cut off by a sharp shake of Aizawa's head.
Izuku followed Aizawa's gaze and caught sight of movement. Tsuyu saw it too, her body stiffening beside Izuku's. She let out a small ribbit. A man in a dark coat fitting Root's description was heading into a cafe across the street that had just opened for the day.
Aizawa held up a hand for them to hold their positions. Izuku watched with bated breath as Root took a seat in the cafe. From their position, they could just barely see him. He appeared to order and then just sat there, sipping a latte.
"I'm going to get a closer look," Aizawa said in a low voice. "You two are to stay here. Under no circumstances are you to engage or I will have your provisional licenses in a heartbeat, understood?"
Izuku and Tsuyu nodded in unison. Aizawa grunted. He crawled back from the ledge. Izuku didn't look back but he heard Aizawa making his way off the roof. Then nothing.
Try as he might, Izuku couldn't catch a glimpse of his teacher. He wondered if Aizawa would teach him how to move under people's gazes like that.
Tsuyu tapped one finger against Izuku's arm. She nodded toward the cafe. Someone had joined Root. An underground contact possibly. But the way they sat and chatted over coffee made it seem like they were just friends catching up. That is until the newcomer reached over for a packet of sugar. His jacket rode up to reveal the outline of a gun under his shirt. Izuku's eyes widened. Not many villains carried a gun, relying more on their quirks to get the job done. And Aizawa couldn't erase a bullet.
One for All thrummed under Izuku's skin. Everything in him screamed to leap down there and take out the bad guys before they could hurt his teacher.
Tsuyu laid a steadying hand on his arm. She didn't say anything but the look in her eyes clearly said to wait and trust Aizawa. Izuku gave her a tight smile. She was right of course. Aizawa was a pro and had been for almost as long as they'd been alive. No doubt he'd had to face people with guns before. He could handle himself.
So he waited.
And waited.
Gods, why was underground work so boring? And waited.
He wondered what Root's name referred to. Maybe it was something poetic like the root of all evil. No, that was All for One. Or maybe it referenced how he tied multiple organizations together. Or it could be something related to his quirk. Izuku quickly ran through a list of known quirks that could relate to roots. At this point, he was almost eager to see what Root's quirk was just to satisfy his curiosity.
Tsuyu's grip tightened painfully on his arm. He looked up. The two men had tensed. From what Izuku could see of Root's face, he looked angry or frustrated.
Izuku tensed. Aizawa had warned them things could turn sour very quickly.
Izuku and Tsuyu watched, unable to do anything until Aizawa gave the order. Tsuyu had her phone out and ready to dial for backup if it came to that.
The second man shoved away from the table, gesturing animatedly. Root stayed seat. He looked like he was trying to defuse the situation.
Izuku thought of the man's gun, the other people in the cafe, and Aizawa, unable to defend against a bullet. Aizawa can handle it, he thought to himself. But with each passing moment, it became harder to sit still.
Then it happened. The man pulled out the gun. There are people in the cafe still.
Izuku and Tsuyu leaped to their feet. Aizawa appeared out of nowhere— seriously, where did he come from?— and placed himself between the gun and the innocent civilians. With his heart in his throat, Izuku watched the scene play out.
Aizawa tried to talk the gunman down but the presence of a pro hero only served to agitate him more. He waved the gun out, gesturing between Root and Aizawa wildly.
Root half-stood from his chair. Aizawa shot him a glare, his hair raising as he activated his quirk. Root took the hint and sat back down with a soft, smug smile.
Izuku and Tsuyu exchanged a look. Before he even had to say anything, she was calling for backup. With his heart in his throat, Izuku returned his attention to the cafe. It did not seem to be going Aizawa's way. Was it too much to hope that a pro hero was enough to get the bad guys to turn themselves over? Apparently, yes.
Suddenly, the gunman became very still. Izuku couldn't see the gunman's face, but Aizawa said something sharply. His grip was tight on his capture weapon. One for All sang in Izuku's veins.
Then the gun swung around to Root and fired. Izuku gasped, surging forward. But before it hit, Aizawa yanked Root aside with his scarf. Aizawa grabbed the back of Root's collar and dragged him to safety behind a counter where Izuku lost sight of them both.
He couldn't stand still any longer. "I'm getting closer," he called out, placing a hand on the rooftop ledge.
Tsuyu's brow pinched. She hesitated, looking between him and the phone she was speaking into. Then she gave a short nod. "Be careful."
"You too," Izuku said before powering up One for All and leaping down the building. He bounced from fire escapes to window ledges before landing on a dumpster. He rolled off the foul-smelling thing and sprang to his feet. He tamped down One for All, muting the green electricity before he joined the small throng of bystanders nearby. He hoped he wasn't too out of place among them. Aizawa had insisted he wore a dark hoodie over his hero costume and replace his bright red shoes with something more muted for the patrol. And now Izuku more glad than ever for that.
Aizawa and Root had sheltered behind the counter so Izuku still couldn't see them. He hoped Root was smart enough not to attack Aizawa when he was trying to protect him. Somehow, Izuku didn't think he was.
The gunman was pacing the cafe, yelling something that Izuku couldn't quite make out. He fired off another shot into the air. A loud gasp rang through the crowd.
Izuku gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain where he was. Aizawa is trained for this. He can handle it.
Then the ground underneath the cafe exploded. A dark mass of twining roots surged upward. Izuku's eyes widened. Root. It had to be. At least now the name made sense.
The roots grabbed the gunman. They twisted around him until only his face was visible. It reminded Izuku fiercely of when the slime villain had attacked Kacchan. Izuku shuddered.
But with the gunman neutralized, Izuku scanned the cafe for any sign of Aizawa. Anxiety thrummed through his bones. His heartbeat an uneven rhythm in his chest. Where was his teacher? And where was Root? Why wasn't Aizawa erasing Root's quirk? Was he trusting Root to keep the gunman contained until backup arrived but why? There was also the decidedly more terrifying thought that Root had already taken Aizawa out.
Izuku shook that thought away. He had to focus. Aizawa might need him. He just needed to wait for the right moment—
There was an ominous groaning. Izuku's heart stopped.
The roots had continued to grow, pushing up through the cafe floor and through the foundation of the building itself. Izuku realized in an instant that it wouldn't hold. The building was going to come down.
He had seconds to act but he didn't even have to think about it. He powered up his quirk and raced into the building. He grabbed the gunman first. He broke through the roots holding him— leaving just enough that he was still tied up— and darted back out to the street. The gunman yelled obscenities as if Izuku hadn't just saved his life. Izuku ignored him.
He darted back inside. The roots had killed the power and he peered through the twisted, dark mass. Cracks splintered up the wall of the cafe spiderwebbing out from where the roots had broken through the ground.
The roots suddenly stopped moving and growing and Izuku flinched. "Ai— Eraserhead-sensei?" he called out. The building groaned again only adding to Izuku's growing urgency.
He pulled on Full Cowling, fully prepared to bulldoze his way through the roots. Then Aizawa appeared. He crawled through a gap in the maze dragging Root, who was knocked out and hogtied with Aizawa's capture scarf. Blood trickled from Aizawa's nose but he looked more disgruntled than injured.
Relief flooded Izuku hard enough to almost knock him to his knees. "Eraserhead-sensei."
Aizawa blinked behind his goggles. "Problem Child."
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? I'm sorry for not listening and barging in here. But I didn't see you and I got worried and the building, I don't think it's going to last much longer—" it groaned again, emphasizing Izuku's point.
"Breathe, kid," Aizawa said interrupting Izuku before he could go another tangent. "Take Root and get out of here. There are still civilians that I have to get from the back."
Izuku frowned, his anxiety spiking. "I'm faster. And I can break through these roots. I should do it."
Aizawa's jaw clenched. For a beat, Izuku was sure he was going to refuse. Then he sighed and nodded. "Hurry, kid. But try not to knock into any walls, okay?"
Izuku nodded firmly.
Aizawa stepped around him and gripped his shoulder firmly. "Make sure you come back. You have a test on Friday."
Izuku cracked a watery grin. "Yes, sir." Then he darted deeper into the cafe.
He broke through as many roots as he could, clearing a path. But some of them were too thick to break quickly so he left them.
The darkness of the cafe surrounded by alien-looking roots was disorientating. Izuku stumbled into tables and chairs and prayed he was even heading in the right direction. He couldn't let Aizawa down. He couldn't let the civilians down. He was hero and he was going to save them.
When Aizawa stepped outside the cafe with Root in tow, police cars had already set up a perimeter a safe distance away. Aizawa glanced over his shoulder as if he could catch a glimpse of his favorite problem child. He hated to put students in active danger even if they were hero students. But Midoriya had been right that he was their best bet to get all the civilians out in time.
Aizawa handed Root over to the police. Asui found him and nearly bowled him over.
"Eraser-sensei! Where's Midoriya?"
Aizawa gestured to the cafe and her eyes went huge. "Midoriya's in there? But I heard them say it was going to come down!"
"It's okay. He's getting civilians and he'll be out in no time," Aizawa said, not sure if he believed it himself. He placed a hand on Asui's shoulder. "Right now, I need you to help with crowd control. Can you do that?"
Asui fixed a determined look on her face. "Yes, sensei."
When this was all over, Aizawa was going to tell her how proud he was of her. When she'd come to UA, there hadn't been much that made her stand out to Aizawa. But she'd grown into an amazing and capable hero. She was going to have an incredible hero career ahead of her— Aizawa's entire class did. Now, if only he could keep them from recklessly throwing themselves into danger.
Movement caught Aizawa's eye. A flash of green and then someone was laying at his feet. Before Aizawa could even call out, the green blur was racing back inside to grab more civilians. Aizawa grumbled under his breath, worry snagging his breath.
Regardless, he helped the civilian to their feet and guided to the where first aid waited.
More help was arriving by the minute, but from the looks of the building, Aizawa wasn't sure it was going to be enough.
Through the next three excruciatingly long minutes, Aizawa watched as Midoriya ran in and out of the slowly crumbling building saving another life each time. Worry and pride warred in Aizawa's heart. That was his kid saving people but also that was his kid throwing himself into danger.
Finally, after dropping off another civilian, Midoriya met Aizawa's gaze and called out, "Only one more, sensei!"
Aizawa gave a terse nod and Midoriya was gone again. Just in and out one more time and then everyone would be safe. But of course, it wasn't that easy.
Midoriya had just barely made it through the doorway when the building finally gave out. The walls caved in and the roof fell.
"Midoriya!" Aizawa yelled already running forward. He flung out his capture scarf. Too late—
Fiery green lightning lit up the kid's body. He spread his stance and gave Aizawa's a grim smile. Then the building collapsed in a plume of dust.
Aizawa went cold. Images flashed before his eyes. Small children. Another building, another time. Wild white hair stained gray and red from blood and dust. An agonizing scream Aizawa would never forget. A death he would never forgive himself for.
Aizawa snapped back to himself. He shoved that deep, deep down only to revisit in therapy. He'd gotten pretty at compartmentalizing on the job. It was almost a job requirement in his field. But that one incident always seemed to creep up on him.
He blinked and the dust cleared. He was fully prepared to see another broken, bleeding body buried under rubble. White curls replaced with green. Instead, an explosion of green sparks met his gaze. His eyes widened.
Midoriya stood firm at the cafe's entrance, his face set in determination. On his shoulders, he held up the cafe roof.
Aizawa raced forward. His heart pounded through his body, which was shaky from a cocktail of adrenaline, anxiety, and gut-wrenching relief. He hadn't failed yet.
"Sensei," Midoriya said through gritted teeth.
Up close Aizawa could see how strained Midoriya was. He was holding up a fucking building, of course he was strained! His face was pale and sweaty and his body shook from exertion. Aizawa didn't think he could hold it up much longer before his body gave out either from the building or his stupidly powerful quirk.
"How long?" Aizawa snapped. They didn't have time for pleasantries.
Midoriya met his gaze. "Long enough."
That was good enough for Aizawa. He slid underneath Midoriya's shaking arms. There was one more civilian to save and Aizawa was not going to let anyone die today.
"Hold on, kid," he muttered as he dove into the darkened cafe. He didn't think about the fact that if Midoriya dropped the roof than he would be crushed just like Oboro. He also didn't think about the fact that if Midoriya dropped the roof it would only be because he'd died. No, he didn't think about either of those things. He focused on the job. The job always came first.
Aizawa twisted through the maze of roots. He slid through tight spots and climbed around twisted knots like some weird-ass parkour. He could see where the path Midoriya had taken from where the roots were charred and blackened from the boy's energy.
It took just over a minute for Aizawa to reach the back room, but it felt much longer. Had it been too long? Aizawa shook his head. He shoved through the back room's door and it clattered to the floor. One person covered underneath a storage shelf. Not that it would do much to protect them if the building fell. But, hey, it's the thought that counts, right?
"Don't worry, I'm a pro," Aizawa deadpanned.
"Wh-where's the kid?" the person asked, slowly inching out of their hiding spot.
Aizawa heaved a sigh. He recognized they had just been through an extremely traumatic event but frankly he didn't care. His kid was currently holding up a building on his back and Aizawa didn't have time for niceties.
He strode forward, yanked the person onto his back in one smooth motion, and headed for the exit. The person didn't complain. Every time the building groaned and creaked, they whimpered and clung harder to Aizawa.
Unease swirled in Aizawa's gut. He mentally timed how long he'd been in the building. Almost two and a half minutes. Precious seconds that Midoriya spent pushing his body to its breaking point. Even if Aizawa did get him out, what kind of condition would he be in?
Aizawa pushed himself faster. It was harder going with a person on his back, but he made do. His kid was counting on him.
At the three minute mark, the exit came into view. The sunlight from outside nearly blinded Aizawa. He blinked to clear the spots from his eyes. Then he realized it wasn't sunlight.
Midoriya stood in the doorway lit up like a solar flare. Aizawa could hardly see much more than a silhouette underneath the sparks. His heart clenched. This kid...
He ducked under Midoriya's arms, wincing at the heat from his quirk. He shoved the civilian into waiting arms.
"Eraserhead."
Aizawa found a uniformed police captain calling his name. He gritted his teeth but forced himself to face the captain. He vaguely remembered her from a previous job, but her name slipped his mind.
"What's the situation?" Aizawa demanded.
"All civilians are accounted for," the captain replied, ignoring Aizawa's tone. "We got Cementoss and other rescue heroes on the way but they're still minutes out. We can't get to Deku without risking the building collapsing the surrounding area. We've started evacuation but..." she shrugged helplessly.
That would take time. Time they didn't have. Time Midoriya didn't have. Midoriya couldn't hold on for much longer. But he would have to.
Aizawa thanked the captain and told her to keep him informed. Then he rushed back to his kid. He wanted nothing more to drag the kid into his arms but the intense heat prevented him from getting close.
"Midoriya, can you hear me?" he asked roughly.
Midoriya blinked half-lidded eyes. Exhaustion dragged at his whole body. "The... civilians?"
"Safe, all of them, thanks to you."
Midoriya kind of smiled. "That's good... can I go home now?"
Aizawa's heart ripped into little pieces. "Soon, I promise. You just have to hold on a little longer."
Midoriya whimpered. "Sensei, it hurts."
"I know, I know," Aizawa soothed. "You're doing great. You're an amazing hero, kid."
"Thank—" Midoriya's words were cut off by a strangled scream as the building crumbled more. His whole body shuddered and he staggered. Aizawa reached out to grab him, help him, something, but he couldn't do anything. He watched as Midoriya dragged himself back together through sheer force of will. He righted his stance, planted his feet, and gave Aizawa a blinding grin.
"I'mokay," Midoriya said in a breathy rush. But he wasn't okay. All the blood had drained from his face. Sweat poured off his body. He trembled harshly. Aizawa had no idea how he was even still standing.
"Okay, just a couple more minutes. You're almost there," Aizawa murmured. He crouched in Midoriya's line of sight. A small voice in his brain said he should move back in case Midoriya did give out. He squashed that thought instantly. There was no way he was leaving the kid.
Seconds trickled by agonizingly slowly marked only by Midoriya's ragged breathing. Aizawa took comfort in the shallow rise and fall of the kid's chest. Midoriya's eyes slid closed too exhausted to do even keep them open. Aizawa continued a stream of quiet reassurances. He wasn't even sure if Midoriya heard him. He didn't reply, too lost to form any coherent thought.
Aizawa gritted his teeth. If there was some way, any way, he could have taken the burden from Midoriya, he would have in a heartbeat. But he could only watch as the life drained from the boy's body bit by bit.
"Aizawa-sensei!"
Aizawa jolted and when he turned instant relief hit him. Uraraka was running toward him with Cementoss. Had it been long enough for them to arrive already? Aizawa didn't want to think about it. They were here now.
Uraraka came to a dead halt when she saw Midoriya. "Deku," she breathed, her face pale.
Aizawa didn't have time to be gentle. Midoriya needed help now. "Uraraka, I need you to lift the roof off Midoriya so we can get him out, and then Cementoss can create some supports."
Uraraka eyed the roof uncertainly. They'd been working on her lifting larger objects in training, but this was a big step.
Aizawa stepped forward. "You can do this, for Midoriya."
Uraraka nodded. "I can."
"I am ready, child," Cementoss said. He exchanged a look with Aizawa, who nodded. He was prepared to grab Midoriya the instant it was safe. Ambulances were standing by.
Aizawa moved as close to Midoriya as he could get. "Hey, kid, we here to get you out. Are you ready?"
Midoriya didn't do anything more than moan. Aizawa's gaze darkened. He looked at the two rescue heroes. "Do it now."
Uraraka sucked in a breath. She touched both hands to the roof resting closest to Midoriya. The weight lifted off the kid's shoulders. He crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut. Aizawa caught him before he could hit the ground. He lifted him into his arms. The kid was still trembling and shaking, green sparks sputtering across his body. Aizawa ran for the ambulance, not looking back even to see if Uraraka and Cementoss had succeeded.
Hang on, Midoriya.
Izuku woke up to the incessant beating of a heart monitor. A sound he was unfortunately all too familiar with. He felt like he'd been run over by a train. Had he been run over by a train? It was a possibility.
He opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the harsh hospital lighting. He tried to turn his head to take in his surroundings but that was a mistake. A strangled moan escaped his lips. Gods, his body felt like it was on fire.
A face filled his vision and he had to choke back a sob. Aizawa.
Relief and concern flitted across Aizawa's face. He lifted a glass and helped Izuku get the straw into his mouth. He felt like a child but he couldn't deny the small sips did wonders for his scratchy throat.
"Everyone... okay?" Izuku rasped out.
Something like amusement or resignation settled in Aizawa's gaze. "Yes, Problem Child, everyone is okay thanks to you. And thanks to Uraraka and Cementoss, you're okay."
Izuku blinked. Everything felt kind of fuzzy. "Don't... remember."
"That's okay. You've been in and out of it for a few days. Severe quirk exhaustion." Aizawa settled into a seat by the bed, still near enough that Izuku could see him. He ran a hand over his face. He mumbled something that sounded like I'm getting too old for this. "You can't do that to me again, okay, kid?"
"'Msorry," Izuku mumbled.
"You have nothing to be sorry for," Aizawa said intently. "You did amazing and I— I couldn't be more proud."
Izuku didn't know what to say. He was so fuzzy and heavy. Were they giving him drugs?
Aizawa sighed. "Sleep, Problem Child. I'll be here when you wake up."
Izuku smiled. He drifted off again knowing he was safe with Aizawa and everyone was okay.