Midoriya paces the length of Reo's room as the older teen sits patiently in his office chair. His back is to the boy, fingers folded in front of his face as he leans his elbows against his desk. His eyes are closed, breathing deep and slow.

"You went back."

"Yes," the vigilante confirms, still pacing. He'd arrived at the teen's house shortly after escaping from the 7th district. Reo's bedside clock blinks 2:38am at them in a blocky, neon font. He's still completely decked out in his vigilante gear sans his mask and gloves which he'd ditched the moment he'd arrived. "There ended up being only four villains and the heroes showed up while I was fighting the third guy."

"Why?"

Midoriya glances at him incredulously. "Why the heroes showed up?" Izuku asks, trying to clarify the question.

"No," Reo murmurs, "Why'd you go back?"

There's a harsh resolve that glints in the vigilante's eyes at the question. "I promised myself that if the police hadn't moved after a certain amount of time then I'd go myself."

"You promised me that you'd let them do their job," Reo spits.

"I gave them as much time as I could," Midoriya replies. The boy pauses in his pacing to stare out the window. He bites at the nail of his thumb anxiously. "She, Eri, wasn't even there though so I'm back to square one. I'll have to ask Giran if he has anymore possible locations where they could be keeping her. That guy could've been bluffing though," Midoriya murmurs to himself. "If he was then the heroes might've found her already." He shakes his head. "No I shouldn't get my hopes up until I get confirmation."

Tsukauchi slams his hands into the table, pushing himself up violently. The action startles the fifteen-year-old as he turns to look at his friend with wide eyes. "Damn it Midoriya!" Reo shouts, eyes blazing with fury as he rounds on the boy. Tsukauchi makes to slap the vigilante. The black- haired boy waits for the sting of skin against skin, for the sharp clap of his hand against Midoriya's face.

It never comes though, Izuku catching his wrist before his blow has time to make contact. Midoriya stares at him in shock.

Reo scowls, ripping his hand away. "I trusted you," is all he says, turning away from the boy.

"You don't think ," the seventeen-year-old spits, "You don't listen . You don't understand ." He bows his head low over his workable, a cool anger sizzling beneath his skin before Tsukauchi

spins on him again. His fingers are tangled in the fabric over his own heart. There are angry tears in his glowing amber eyes. "You've got people who worry about you too. You're fifteen, not forty. You don't have to do everything by yourself. You don't have to put your life on the line all the time." Reo swipes furiously at the water gathering in his eyes.

Midoriya can only stare, mouth parted like he wants to say something though nothing is ever said. He can't bring himself to apologize, not for something he doesn't regret. But, the anger and the pain and the worry that swirls through his friend's eyes is like the beginnings of a storm. It's a fiery inferno that sweeps through the verdant forest growing inside of Izuku's eyes. The vigilante feels the welling of tears like the coming of rain, his eyes swirl with gray thunderclouds. Polluted rain prickles at his eyes, rain polluted by the guilt he feels at seeing his friend cry because of him.

He was crying because of him.

"Idiot," Reo mutters, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes as he turns his back towards him.

Midoriya doesn't know what to do. He wants to reach out a hand, wants to comfort his friend like Reo has always done for him. Izuku wants to assure him that he's alright, that he's not hurt. But, he doesn't know how the other would take it, doesn't know if his touch would be a welcome one.

Reo is angry, furious, and emotions like that aren't something commonly seen on the older teen's face. There's only one other time that Midoriya can recall where this sort of anger made itself apparent.

"You died!" Reo's voice echoes in his head, "You went in to try and find her without a plan and without preparation and without telling anyone, without telling me. What would've happened if that man hadn't decided to bring you back?"

The hand Midoriya had unconsciously extended towards his friend's back lowers.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," Izuku murmurs, bowing his head in shame.

"But you'd do it again, wouldn't you."

He hesitates for only moment. "Yes," he answers quietly. "If there's so much as a fraction of a chance for me to save someone I won't allow myself to sit still."

Reo lets out a defeated sigh, walking towards the bed to sit down. "I know." There's a moment of silence as the teen shuffles across the room. "If you think about it we really haven't known each other for that long," Reo murmurs, perching himself on the edge of his bed. "But already, I don't know what I'd do if you," he pauses, struggling to say the next words, "I don't want you to die Midoriya."

Izuku moves towards the bed, quietly sitting down next to him, springs creaking beneath his added weight.

"The heroes can save her you know," Tsukauchi whispers, "All I'm asking is that you try to focus on saving the people that no one else is able to. The heroes know she's out there and they know who she's with even if they're not sure where she is yet. You told me yourself that this is a big organization. I think they've proven that they're not like some of the smaller groups of thugs that you've taken on before." Tsukauchi lets his hands fall limply into his lap.

"You're right," Izuku murmurs, studying his discolored knuckles. He reaches a hand up to his face, wondering if there's any blood on it.

"I know," Reo huffs with a laugh. The banter serves to lighten the mood for only a few moments before it falls again. "You're wearing blinders like some sort of racehorse Midoriya, blindly rushing forward without checking your peripheral. You've given info to the police about groups weaker than these guys because you were worried that you wouldn't be able to handle it. You

knew your limits then," his friend murmurs quietly, "Please remember them now too." The older boy pushes himself up with a heavy sigh, heading towards his door, Midoriya watching his progress across the room. "Let's get you cleaned up at least. Go ahead and change out of the rest of your hoodie and stuff. I need to check you for wounds too. You could be in shock or something. I should've checked the moment you came in."

Midoriya tugs off his hoodie with a grunt, inspecting it once it's off. He's busy wiggling one of his pinkies through the small hole near the center of his chest when Reo comes back into the room with a wet washcloth for the small splatters of blood hidden among his stippling of freckles.

"What's that from?" Reo asks, setting the first aid kit on his work desk.

"The third guy tried to run me through with a katana," the vigilante mutters before lifting the vest that'd saved his life over his head, tossing it on the bed beside him. Midoriya cranes his head downwards to look at the bruise forming where it struck.

"Serves you right for being somewhere you shouldn't have." Tsukauchi's eyes darken. "If he'd hit you anywhere else you'd be dead, or at the very least severely wounded and in police custody. You realize that right?"

Izuku grimances, dragging the washcloth Reo hands him across his face, scrubbing at his cheeks until they're red from something other than another man's blood. "Yeah."

"Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"I don't think I'm any worse than usual." He grins sheepishly over at his friend. "These guys were supposed to be tough, but I look like I usually do so does that mean I'm getting better at this?"

Reo ignores the comment, rolling his seat over towards the other, sliding up to inspect his injuries. "There's not much I can do about that bruise," he says, tapping distractedly at the boy's chest before taking Izuku's hands in his, checking his knuckles. "What about your legs? Any injuries on those?"

"They're fine."

Tsukauchi looks up, narrowed eyes locking with the fifteen-year-old. "It's times like these that make me wish I had my uncle's quirk."

Midoriya huffs a laugh. "I'm fine."

"Now that's definitely a lie. I know you're not fine." Reo starts in on cleaning the younger boy's busted knuckles. "You're hands wouldn't be like this if you were fine, those are well made gloves. Your knuckles can't be damaged so easily with those. And there wouldn't be blood splattered on your face if you were fine. You wouldn't have started pacing around my room the moment you got here if you were fine. You wouldn't have that look on your face if you were fine."

The vigilante stills, watching as Tsukauchi wipes at his wounds. What kind of face am I making?

"It's okay not to be fine you know," Reo says quietly, "She wasn't there, you didn't get a second chance at saving her. It's not your fault that bad guys do bad things. And you're not the only one who takes on the responsibility to try and stop them. You're not alone. You think you're the only vigilante? You think you're the only one trying to save people for something other than money?" Tsukuachi swabs a bit of hydrogen peroxide in and around his cuts, the wounds bubbling up. "You think you're the only one who beats themselves up for not saving someone?" The teen dabs antibiotics across the knuckles that have busted, "You think that my uncle doesn't drive himself

mad trying to get you off the streets? That All Might doesn't get angry at himself for failing to save someone? You're not perfect Midoriya. And anyone who expects you to be has never put their lives on the line for someone else."

"I know I don't have to be perfect," Midoriya mutters, watching as the older teen bandages his knuckles. "But I want to be able to save everyone I can."

"That's fine," Reo says, glancing up at him. "I'm sure lots of heroes feel like that. But you have to live within your means, know your limits. You won't be able to save everyone you come across. But, you told me that you knew that from the beginning. You have the ability to save a lot of people Midoriya, you've proven that. So, if you die, if Pied Piper disappears..." Tsukauchi gently covers the fifteen-year-old's hand with his own. "If he disappears then all of that ends there, all that potential to save people would be gone just like that. So please take care of yourself. If not for your sake or mine or your mother's then for the sake of all the people you'll save in the future."

Midoriya jerks awake, a choked plea of "come back" on his lips. The boy blinks up at the ceiling, heart in his throat and choking on his fear as he claws his way up into a seated position. He's wearing one of Reo's t-shirts and he's still in the lower half of his vigilante gear and burning in his left eye tell him he'd left his contact in. Izuku looks around the room, finding Tsukauchi passed out in his desk chair, arms resting on his desk and curled beneath his head like a pillow.

We fell asleep , he thinks as his nightmare dispels. You're fine.

"You're fine." In his head the oil-slick maw creeks opens and from it spills the caustic thoughts

that he doubts he'll ever be able to rid himself of. "But, she's still suffering."

"Reo! I'm not telling you again! If you're not up in the next minute I'm dragging you out of bed myself!" The voice of his friend's mother at the door drowns out the acidulous words of the monster in his head. They guide him back into reality, releasing him from his nightmares for the time being.

Tsukauchi shifts at his desk, groaning as he slowly drags himself into consciousness. "40 seconds!"

His friend groans again, louder this time before he finally raises his head. There's dried drool crusted on the corner of his mouth, amber eyes bleary with sleep as he turns to find Midoriya still sitting on his bed.

They stare at each other for a moment.

"You've got 30 seconds before I'm coming in! I don't care if you stayed up late again!" Their eyes widen.

Midoriya scrambles out of bed, darting towards the window.

"I'm awake Mom!" Reo shouts, rushing to shove the fifteen-year-old's scattered vigilante gear under his bed and beneath his covers as Izuku crawls out the window, collapsing onto the fire escape outside.

"We've got less than an hour to get to your grandfather's place." Misaki scolds, throwing the door open as Midoriya presses himself further into the freezing metal grate, keeping himself out of sight. "I told you not to say up late before I went to bed, when did you go to sleep last night?" The cold

metal bites into his palms, morning air nipping at his exposed skin. "You know what? I don't even want to know, please just get ready. And close your window, it's already winter."

"It helps me wake up in the morning," the seventeen-year-old quickly lies. "Then go outside and close the window behind you. Don't let all the heat out."

He hears footsteps making their way back out of Reo's room before he listening to the door shut and the lock click into place. Izuku pushes himself up, peaking over the window sill to find Tsukauchi leaning his back against the bedroom door.

He looks absolutely exhausted. They both look absolutely exhausted.

Midoriya sighs, pushing himself the rest of the way up as he takes a seat on fire escape's stairs. He drops his head into his hands, hunching in on himself.

He can hear Reo's socked feet shuffling inside as he makes his way towards the window, leaning against the sill. "Do you need to borrow some clothes?"

Izuku thinks about the offer for a moment before shaking his head. "I think I'll try some casual patrolling today," Midoriya mutters before he puts himself in action, grabbing his boots off the steps beside him and lacing them up. Reo pushes away from the window, stepping back inside to gather the vigilante's various belongings. "I'll just tell my mom that I left early again and what not."

The boy tugs off Reo's t-shirt as his friend passes him his vest and hoodie, quickly slipping them on before the air has a chance to chill him further. "You sure you're up for it?"

"Probably not," Izuku confesses, pulling his hood up over his hair. "But I refuse to do what I did last time. I can't just disappear off the grid again. There are too many people to save."

Tsukauchi sighs, passing him the rest of his gear and some eye drops for his crimson stained eye. "Make sure you eat something," the seventeen-year-old says, leaning out the window to watch as his friend buckles his belt around his waist and tugs his gloves on over his fingers, colored red from cold. "And don't push yourself. You've been through a lot recently."

The vigilante pulls his mask up over his nose, blowing large, heated breaths into it to warm his cheeks again. "I won't."

The house looks different in the daylight, less intimidating and more deary. The front gate is crisscrossed with caution tape and a few police cars still line the property's perimeter. He stares at it from across the street. The paint is pale and peeling in places, gate rusted, and what little yard he can see from here is overgrown. It looks normal in the daylight.

It doesn't look like a place he died trying to find.

I shouldn't be here.

And he shouldn't. He really shouldn't. He's not one of those people who return to the scene of the crime. But, even after what Reo had told him just hours earlier, it was hard to let go, hard to forget. It's hard to just give up on the girl that he's spent so long just trying to find. He doesn't want to hand the investigation over to someone else. It feels personal. It is personal.

But, he knows now that there's not much else he can do from here. He's out of leads, out of lives.

He can't afford to keel over on a case that he's known he wasn't going to be able to handle from the beginning. The boy curses, sinking in on himself as he turns away from the house.

Midoriya slips his vigilante phone out of one his many pockets, dialing one of the only contacts he has on there.

"Piper," Giran's voice drawls over the speaker, "It seems you survived. Guess you didn't kick the bucket after all huh?"

The vigilante sighs, "Seems like it." He gently closes his gloved fist around his staff, bruised skin stretching over his knuckles. Something in his stomach twists. He'd survived alright.

An oil-slick voice hisses in his mind, coiling around his insides like serpent. "You may be alive. But, the question of, "should you be allowed to continue doing so," remains."

"I guess that request of yours was all for nothin'."

"No," Midoriya says, leaning against a nearby wall. The house is still visible from here. "I survived this time, but if I ever end up dying I still want you to do what we talked about."

Giran taps his finger against his desk, studying the laquered wood grain. "You're really prepared to die?"

"Of course not."

Giran huffs a laugh at the boy's response, reclining back in his office chair to stare at the offwhite ceiling tiles above him.

"Dying is something I'd like to avoid, but I have to remind myself that it's a possibility everytime I go out. If you live by the sword then you'll fall by it as well. That's how the world works."

"That's such an old fashioned way of looking at things," the broker hums, "It's not wrong, but there are plenty of people who don't live by the sword and still die by it. It's not as much of an exclusive club as you think it is. But, I'll keep my promise Piper," Giran sighs, "I'm a man of my word if nothing else."

The vigilante glances back towards the house one last time before turning away. "Thank you."

r/PiedPiper · Posted by u/goldenboiz three days ago Piper Working w/ the Police?!?!?!

346 upvotes

So my cousin works with one of the police stations in Musutafu and he was evidently involved in this little raid collaboration thing that was going on and he told me that Piper was there??? He wouldn't tell me why or how he was there which made me think that it was something pretty secretive?? Like what if Piper was working with the police on this?????

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JestBeanist 864 points · two days ago

I think it's more likely that Piper happened to be there or showed up on his own sometime during it. He's spent all this time avoiding the police so I doubt that he'd want to be around them for extended periods

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Mia542069 7 points · two days ago

I don't think Piper would hesitate to work with the police but he doesn't seem stupid enough to get involved unless someone's life is on the line. Plus this is the police we're talking about. It's highly unlikely that they'd need to bring Piper in when they can just ask a pro hero for help.

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goldenboiz 1k points · one day ago

I just don't get why my cousin would try to hush it up if he wasn't working with them though?? .

Mia542069 7 points · 13 hours ago

It could be that it's something embarrassing for the police/heroes that were involved? I mean we haven't heard about him getting caught which means he probably slipped out right from under their nose

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goldenboiz 1k points · 2 hours ago

I mean if they were forced to make a deal with him then that also could've been embarrassing for the police and stuff??? Being forced to let him go in return for his temporary cooperation or something??? That's gotta be a major blow to their pride

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N-s0mkneeack 864 points · two days ago

anyone who works with the police is dumb couldn't be me

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vin-pepper 2k points · 23 hours ago

We're finally getting new Piper content and I've never been happier

"You're certain he said "he should've kept me dead"?" Aizawa asks, brows stitching themselves together.

Naomasa nods solemnly, head falling into his hands. He feels exhausted. It's already been a week since the raid and many nights he still found himself unable to sleep well. But, he forces himself to keep going.

"Do you think it could be in relation to a quirk?" Shouta asks.

"It's got to be," Naomasa mumbles, staring tiredly down at the table. He sends a glance towards his empty cup of coffee, debating whether he should flag the waitress down for more. "The only question is if it's Piper's quirk or someone else's, someone assumably with the Precepts." He gives in waving the waitress over for a refill. "He did tell me to be wary of someone he met while he was originally surveying the area, told me not to let him touch me but didn't say why."

The hero's brow rises. "You don't think that's why?"

"I can only hope that wasn't the reason." The detective's head bows further, fingers trailing through the back of his hair. "I still can't believe I let him just walk away," Tsukauchi murmurs. "He could be safely in police custody if I didn't hesitate."

"You're not the only one at fault," Aizawa says, taking another sip of his own coffee. "From what I heard the support heroes on site didn't stop him either."

Naomasa shakes his head. "They didn't know any better though. It's not like Piper is a huge name in the hero world yet, let alone his appearance. He's gotten some new gear since you last saw him. If you didn't know any better he could easily pass as an underground hero. People don't really think much in terms of vigilante's anymore."

Aizawa nods. "Most people think in black and white. You're either a law abiding citizen or you're a villain, there's no inbetween for people like Piper."

"And because he doesn't play the part of villain people just assume he's a hero."

Shouta brings his cup back to his lips, keeping it there for a moment as he murmurs around the lip of the mug, "He uses it to his advantage."

"I need to find him," the detective sighs.

"How's the investigation going outside of everything that happened at the raid?" Aizawa asks.

Naomasa rubs tiredly at his temples. "We've got a long list of possible suspects. I've been trying to work through it over the last few months, but that quirk enhancement drug that you hear about in the US all the time has started showing up here. Forensics says it's a lot weaker, but it's still a major problem. It's been keeping everyone busy."

Aizawa's brow rises. "I didn't think police would be onto that just yet. I only just started hearing about it."

"We've been getting more and more reports about it and it's been keeping me from being able to meet with all the Piper suspects myself." Naomasa checks the time, taking another sip of coffee. "Speaking of, I've got a bit of free time today so I should try and talk to a few of them while I can."

"I heard you've been tracking them down manually, why not just call them all to the station? Wouldn't that be easier?" Aizawa asks, finishing off the remainder of his coffee.

"Probably," the detective sighs, "But, if we tell the actual Piper to show up do you think he'd actually do it?"

"So then watch to see who doesn't show up."

Naomasa shakes his head. "He's tricky enough trying to catch him normally. I don't want to drive him underground."

"Understandable I guess. The brat managed to escape from not one, but two UA faculty on two separate occasions."

Tsukauchi huffs a strained laugh. "Don't forget about the number two hero either." He takes another large gulp of coffee before paying, and saying his goodbyes.

There's a knock at the Midoriya's apartment door as the mother and son mill about the kitchen, putting away leftovers and washing dishes. "Can you see who that is sweetie?" Inko asks, the woman continuing to wash dishes.

"Sure," he hums absentmindedly before making his way to the front of the house. The boy peeks out the peephole, freezing at the familiarity of the man standing in the hall. He doesn't want to open the door.

Part of him wants to leave the man where he is, wants to turn around, walk out onto their small balcony and scale down the building from there because nothing good can come from that man being at their apartment.

But, what if it's about Reo?

The boy curses internally, taking a deep breath before he turns the lock and swings the door open. "Midoriya-kun," Naomasa greets.

He forces a faulty smile on his lips. "Tsukauchi-san. What are you doing here?" It's been a week since he last saw the man at the raid. He'd been pointing a weapon at his chest then, and now they stand before each other amicably.

The detective pulls his hat off, smiling tiredly at the boy. "I've been meaning to talk to you. Things have been a bit hectic the last few months so it's been hard to find some time to track you down."

If I'm being honest though, the detective thinks, I've been putting off this meeting with Midoriya- kun. He's a good kid. I don't want to suspect him.

Midoriya huffs a quiet laugh. "I'm at your nephew's house often enough. I shouldn't be too hard to find."

The detective smiles sheepishly. "I haven't been that desperate yet. I tracked down another boy from your dojo first. Besides law requires a parent or guardian to be present for this next conversation."

This about Piper again, Midoriya's brain supplies him. "Izuku who is it?" his mother calls from the kitchen.

The boy reluctantly steps aside to let the detective in. "Come on in. We were just cleaning up after dinner. You're not hungry are you? Reo said you've been busy recently."

Naomasa lets out a light chuckle as the man slips his shoes off at the door. "No need to worry. I ate with a colleague not long ago."

Izuku nods silently, leading the man down the hall, mind roaring with all the possibilities. But, as his brain goes round and round he continuously lands on the same answer. Piper, this is obviously about Piper.

"Mom!" Midoriya calls, "Detective Tsukauchi is here." Anxiety bubbles up in his chest when he thinks of all the vigilante gear scattered in his room and the spread of leads on Eri and Kogane still taped up in the back of his closet.

"A detective?" The two make their way into the kitchen where his mother carefully wipes her damp hands with one of their dish rags.

What the hell am I supposed to do? It's been months since our first conversation about Piper. I didn't think I was a suspect anymore.

"Midoriya-san, it's nice to meet you. My name is Detective Tsukauchi. I'm with Musutafu Police, quirk crimes division. I was hoping to ask your son a few questions."

Inko leads them into the living room where Naomasa carefully takes a seat on the offered chair and the two Midoriyas take their places on the couch. "Is he in trouble?"

It's fine. I can do this. I managed to make it through his quirk that first time and I wasn't even trying.

"Not at all. This is just a precautionary measure. As far as I know Midoriya-kun hasn't done anything bad. He's a good kid." He offers the woman a gentle smile to soothe her nerves. "I'm just asking a few questions about an ongoing investigation that I'm currently leading. Law requires that a guardian is present when I ask these which is why I came here. Hopefully this won't take up too much of your time."

I can do this.

Inko fiddles nervously with the dishrag in her hands. She glances briefly at her son. "I guess that's alright."

"Thank you." Naomasa's head dips in gratitude before he turns towards the vigilante. "Are you ready Midoriya-kun?"

There's a nervous fear rising in his throat. All you have to do is tell the truth and dance around any questions. If he asks what I was doing the night of the raid all I have to tell him is that I was at Reo's. I can do this. I can do this. The boy manages a nod.

"Are you Pied Piper?"