Pied Piper by Blackholeca

by alkhuzamaa

If they wouldn’t give him a chance then the solution seemed simple, he’d give himself one. He’d force the world to see him, force them to recognize his hard work. He wasn’t missing a quirk, it was simply that everyone else had been given an advantage. He wasn’t broken, or useless, or incapable, and he’d prove it by outrunning all of them.

54. Ch 54

"It's a little warm in here."

Reo slowly turns to look at Shinsou, face carefully blank, expression unreadable. A fire alarm whines obnoxiously above them. "The building's on fire," he states bluntly.

While everyone else is rushing for the exits, the three of teens have found themselves somewhere to stand out of the way. They wait as everyone else evacuates, watching as the flames flicker on the other side of the counter. They're still small right now, but they're too big to be put out with anything less than a team of firefighters.

Izuku grins beside him. "Guess you could say this Denny's is pretty lit." "This is a Mcdonald's."

Midoriya pats his friend's back reassuringly. "In spirit, Reo. Always in spirit."

Shinsou motions towards the exit with a cup of fries. "Look, everyone else is gone so we can leave now, it's fine."

Izuku stares at the boy like he's grown a second head. "Where did you get that?" "Get what."

"The fries , Shinsou," Izuku says, motioning dramatically at the container, "We didn't even get to place our orders."

The teen shrugs. "No one else was gonna eat them."

Izuku enters a contemplative silence as Reo quickly ushers them outside, only speaking again once Reo's deemed them to be a safe enough distance away. "Can I have one?"

Shinsou looks down at him, unimpressed. "Get your own."

Izuku hesitates at this, glancing back at the building. Reo's hand latches firmly to the back of his shirt. He does not stop looking forward, dragging the boy with him. "Midoriya Izuku, don't you dare even think about going back into that building."

"Why," Izuku whines, "It's just a small kitchen fire, you saw it."

"Try it and I'll make sure you know how the other end of a taser tastes."

Izuku gapes at him in shocked horror. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I definitely think he would," Shinsou confirms immediately, eating another fry.

Izuku throws his hands up in defeat as they cross the street. They stop on the other side to watch the chaos as a small explosion rocks the surrounding area, blowing a hole through the roof of the restaurant.

Shinsou crosses his arms, leaning back against the building behind them. "Wow. It's really on fire, huh."

Izuku nods solemnly. "Yeah." There's a short pause. "So what do we do now?" "We could go to the mall," Shinsou suggests.

"How are you going to say that knowing that we didn't get to eat," Izuku whines, knocking shoulders with the boy.

Shinsou laughs brightly, "If you were just gonna say let's go eat then why'd you even ask." "I was being nice . Just because you stole some fries–" Izuku huffs.

" Stole? No, no, no. I paid for these with emotional trauma , Midoriya. We barely escaped with our lives ," Shinsou states, a broad grin slipping in place.

Beside them, Reo finally cracks a laugh, able to relax now that they're out of danger. "I hate both of you."

"I feel touched," Shinsou replies, biting down on another fry. "Aww," Izuku coos, "I love you too, ReRe."

"I'm still mad at you, don't push it." The warning is accompanied by a halfhearted glare.

Izuku only laughs, turning back to watch the restaurant burn as firefighters finally arrive. "If we don't leave now I'm going to start withering away," he informs the others, glancing at the two of them.

Reo slips out his phone, quickly looking for nearby restaurants. "Looks like there's a café nearby that we can go to."

"I'm desperate," Izuku replies with a sigh, "I'll take anything."

"Okay," the boy clarifies, "I'm not this desperate."

Reo looks over at him, a shit-eating grin in place. "You said you were hungry." "And you said this was a café!"

"It is a café!" Reo laughs.

Izuku throws his hands up in exasperation. "A maid café!"

Reo smiles easily at their waitress. "I'd like a chibi order of the Neko Nachos with a Pretty in Pink lemonade to drink."

Shinsou stares at the menu for a moment longer before ordering. "I'll take an Umai Omelette with a coke."

Izuku hides behind his menu. His cheeks are a flaming red, voice barely above a whisper. "Hamburger steak and water please."

As soon as the waitress leaves Reo busts into laughter. " Your face! "

Izuku peaks at them over the top of the menu. "You hate me."

The teen shrugs. "You said you were hungry and this was the closest place."

"We literally passed a ramen shop on the way here."

Reo makes a face. "Who eats ramen in the summer."

Izuku sets his menu down carefully, a deadpan expression taking over. "It's May."

"It's summertime somewhere," Shinsou butts in.

"Why are you taking his side!" Izuku cries, letting his head fall into his hands.

"It's because watching you get flustered so easily is funny," Shinsou explains.

Reo nods in confirmation. "I'm glad Shinsou and I agree."

"This isn't fair! How come neither of you are embarrassed?"

"What," Reo teases, "Are the pretty girls dressed in maid outfits too intimidating for you?"

Izuku splutters out a few incomprehensible sentences as the waitress drops off their drink orders. "Shinsou!" he manages eventually, "How's training with Aizawa!" It's a desperate attempt to keep the attention off himself. Thankfully, it works.

"I want to say it's going great, but he's strict with the training regiment," the teen chuckles, leaning back in his seat. "I felt like I was gonna die after that first lesson. The good news is that I am getting stronger though, I bet I could even take you on now."

Izuku laughs, bright and mirthful. "It's not even been a week ."

"Guess we'll just have to spar sometime if you don't believe me." Shinsou crosses his arms over

his chest, playful overconfidence and mischief curling the corner of his lips upwards.

Izuku grins. "Guess we will. Sounds like good practice for my upcoming tournament too."

Reo looks up at him expectantly. "Oh? Did you actually decide to sign up for it?"

The younger teen nods, taking a sip of his drink.

"Six years of Muay Thai and this is your first competition," Reo sighs. "How'd your instructor react?"

Izuku recalls the surprised flare of the woman's freckles. "I think she's more excited for it than I am," he laughs.

"It's pretty soon isn't it?"

"This Sunday," Izuku confirms as the waitress appears again, this time with food in hand.

"Alright," she announces, "I have a chibi order of Neko Nachos, an Umai Omelette, and the Hanahaki Hamburger Steak! If you need anything else please let me know."

As soon as she walks away Reo takes his chance. "Izuku," Reo rags, "why don't you ask for her number?"

Izuku splutters over his drink. "Why aren't you bothering Shinsou like this," he cries, pointing an accusatory finger towards the lilac-haired teen.

Shinsou's grin widens. "I'm gay and aromantic, try again."

Izuku throws his hands up in defeat. "Next time," he declares, pushing himself up, "We're all going to a multi-gender maid café and I'm making you suffer with me!"

A playful smirk twitches at Reo's lips. "I didn't know you liked maid cafés so much."

Izuku freeze, before falling back into his seat, staring defeatedly at the ceiling. "I can't win," he groans. He rights himself, taking a mournful bite of his food.

"So you've really never been in a competition before?" Shinsou asks over the rim of his drink.

"Never saw the point in it," Izuku mumbles. "Most of the ones held in the past were all Muay Thai competitions, but this one is mixed martial arts, so it'll have a whole range of fighting styles. There've been some before as well, but I was stupid and determined not to enter any. Experience is the best teacher though so it'll be good exposure for me." Izuku takes another bite of food, finally at peace now that he has food.

Reo eyes the other teen. "Do you want to come?" Reo asks around the food in his mouth.

The boy blinks, glancing at Izuku who nods along fervently, cheeks puffed out with hamburger steak.

Izuku quickly swallows his food, nearly choking on it in the process. Reo pounds his back a few times as he tries to settle his throat with a few sips of water. "It goes on for most of the day," Izuku coughs, "but the matches for the older kids start around five-thirty. From what my instructor said the whole tournament will go on until about nine."

Shinsou suppresses the urge to smile, pretending to think it over. "Sunday it is then," he finally concedes, "You'll have to tell me where we're meeting though."

"It's a date," Izuku grins.

"Midoriya, I don't do dates," Shinsou replies mischievously.

The boy flushes a bright pink. "You know what I mean! It's a plan! We have a plan! Why do you hate me!"

Vialin bot

@vialin_bot

Hero Killer Stain was spotted in Musutafu, Japan last Sunday night, May 7th, 2232 at approximately 11:32 pm. Photo evidence of him was captured on the southeast edge of the third district. As of yet, there are no known victims.

2:37am · 5/8/32 · Twitter Web App 2 Retweets 17 Likes

Sansa eyes the ringing cell phone from the corner of his vision. The caller ID is the same name as the last time. "This is the third time Yagi's tried calling," he reminds Naomasa gently. "It could be something important."

"He's just going to offer his condolences," Naomasa sighs, dismissing the idea. "He's a great friend, but I don't think I can handle it right now."

"You want me to text him for you?"

There's a short beat of silence as Naomasa contemplates his answer. Eventually, he bobs his head in agreement. "Thank you," he murmurs quietly, tiredly leaning against Sansa's shoulder. "I'm sure he has good intentions..." Naomasa murmurs, "but–"

"It's fine," Sansa reassures him, "Well-meaning or not, you don't owe anything to anyone. Take care of yourself before worrying about someone else's feelings."

The smallest of smiles twitches at Naomasa's lips. "Yeah." He's quiet for a moment, staring absently out the balcony doors. "Misaki invited us to dinner today. Do you think we should go?"

Sansa glances down at him, studying his expression. "Do you feel up for it?" "I don't know," Naomasa murmurs softly, "But... I'd like to see them."

There's a moment of silence before Sansa responds. "I'm sure they'd like to see you too." lilacminds reblogged 4am-ramblings

vigilante-just-d-ance Follow

I'M GOING TO PISS MYSELF, SO WE ALL KNOW THE STORY ABOUT THE PERSON WHO BROKE INTO DEATH ARMS APARTMENT JUST TO SHIT IN HIS BATHTUB RIGHT? WELL RECENTLY SOME INFO WAS LEAKED ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE BREAKING INTO HIS APARTMENT TO DROP A FAT SHIT ON HIS LAPTOP TOO

evillplatypus Follow

I'M SORRY WHAT??

ladynagant-mybeloved Follow

THIS DUDE REALLY CAN'T CATCH A BREAK, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK TEAM

sluthsideoftumblr Follow

what op said was true! there was info leaked about someone breaking into Death Arm's apartment

to shit on his laptop BUT!!! did you also know that it was a lie??

DON'T LEAVE I PROMISE IT GETS BETTER

someone on twitter did some digging into the incident, turns out there was never any police report about a second break-in at Death Arms apartment. Weird right?? But do you know what there was a police report of?? Unlicensed quirk usage by a third party. What was the quirk called you ask? Persuasion, the quirk is called persuasion. Someone did not break into Death Arm's apartment, no no no, here's what actually happened. Some undisclosed individual used their quirk to make Death Arms shit on his own computer

10sloot01 Follow

THERE'S NO FUCKJBG WAY THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED

dortiegreen Follow

I didn't think this post could get any better

TantrumThrower Follow shut up

SHUT UP

YOU'RE JOKING

pepopep0 Follow

WAIT WAIT WAIT, NONE OF YOU ARE EVEN ASKING WHY THE LEAKED STORY WAS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, I BET DEATH ARMS LEAKED THE 'EDITED STORY' BECAUSE HE KNEW PEOPLE WOULD EVENTUALLY FIND OUT AND HE WANTED TO COVER UP THE FACT THAT HE TOOK A FAT SHIT ON HIS KEYBOARD

4am-ramblings Follow

@lilacminds sorry for the @ but i thought you'd appreciate this :)

#vigilantes #pied piper #piper #death arms #da the da #you dont understand just how long i laughed at this shgsmsgsjsjw

407,632 notes

Shirakumo Oboro is an impenetrable fortress. No matter what words exit Izuku's mouth, his expression does not change. He is calm and steady, and though he creates an open and welcoming atmosphere, he is also carefully closed off. He's a man that's already heard all there is to hear. That's why, from Midoriya's perspective, Shirakumo is a man that's lived several lifetimes.

"Society has a rather negative stigma around coping mechanisms." The man crosses one knee over the other, leaning back in his seat. "But in truth, coping mechanisms are the body's way of protecting itself from a situation that's causing you stress or anxiety," Shirakumo explains reassuringly, "Unfortunately, sometimes these coping mechanisms aren't good ones, and even though they may help with the situation at hand, they have a possibility of causing problems of their own."

Midoriya looks away anxiously. "Everyone was always worried about me," he says quietly, guilt bubbling up at the base of his throat. "I know what I was doing was bad now, but I honestly thought it was helping..." Shame swirls in his gut. He'd treated Reo like a diary for over a year, every secret Midoriya had to share had been shared with him. Without realizing, he'd done nothing but hurt his friend.

Shirakumo gently shakes his head. "Putting yourself in dangerous situations is never a good thing, but what you did wasn't bad, Midoriya. You were protecting yourself in the only way you knew how and that's nothing to be ashamed of. Understanding that a coping mechanism isn't healthy is both the first and hardest step towards getting better." At first glance, Shirakumo Oboro is nothing but his scars. He was an ageless man with a countless number of untold stories that Midoriya

wanted to hear. He was both childlike and ancient. Blind in one eye and face painted with three long, claw-like scars cutting through his brow. That's all Midoriya had been able to see upon those first few moments. But, Izuku's sure that his smile alone has the ability to light up solar systems. "I'm proud of you for being able to do that." It's a smile as gentle as the turn of the universe.

Midoriya feels something break softly inside his chest.

He bites back a wave of tears that threaten to overwhelm him. He bows his head, hiding the turmoil on his face. "I had help," he croaks.

"Even so," Shirakumo says warmly, "You were the one to make the final decision. No one else can make that decision for you."

The voice of his mother echoes in his head. "...no one else can do it for you! You have to choose to be stronger than the weakest part of yourself, Izuku!"

Midoriya nods shakily, biting at his bottom lip.

"What comes now is finding a new, healthier way to deal with the problems you're having."

If Midoriya's being honest he's never really thought too much about his mental health. Maybe it was his way of avoiding his problems. It was easier for him to pretend that his problems didn't exist than it was to face them. That's why he hadn't been able to see his vigilantism for what it was, a glorified and unhealthy coping mechanism . He would not make the same mistake again.

"Are you ready?"

He gives the man a determined nod. The vigilante Pied Piper was dead and Midoriya Izuku was the one left in his place. Giving up vigilantism was the start of a new chapter for him, and, with the help of the man before him, this would become the first page.

The leaf had been turned.

It's Shirakumo's eyes darting towards the clock on the wall that tips the boy off to the time. He peeks at his phone, checking it for himself. Their session was almost at its close.

"Before you leave today," the man starts, "I'd like to congratulate you on your placement in the sports festival." Shirakumo's smile is light and easy. "You did great out there."

Midoriya feels himself flush, muttering a soft, "Thank you."

"You told me that you were nervous beforehand," he adds, "How are you feeling now that it's over?"

"Better," Izuku murmurs truthfully, "I, uh– I think I was able to work through a lot of things that were bothering me."

"What kinds of things?"

The boy shifts nervously. He knows there's no pressure for him to answer any of the questions being asked. Shirakumo certainly wouldn't hold it against him, hadn't held it against him. But... putting everything into words has helped him before. "I was... well." Midoriya fiddles anxiously with his hands. "Bakugou, the last person I fought, we don't uh– get along." Izuku starts, deflating

a bit. What an understatement, he thinks to himself. He's never told anyone the full story between them, even Reo knows nothing about it. Despite how long it's gone on, he still doesn't feel ready to admit what happened out loud. "It wasn't like closure or anything," Midoriya murmurs softly, looking away, "But, I managed to get some stuff off my chest and settle a few of the internal disputes I had going on."

"Is that part of the reason why you forfeit?" Shirakumo ask.

Midoriya chuckles dryly. "That and I thought it would make him mad." He waits for the boy to continue.

"I just– I don't know. It felt good to finally put it into words. I probably said a few unnecessary things though," he explains shyly. "Any more than this and the people who care about me will start to worry. They'll think I'm trying to kill myself again." Midoriya winces at the memory with a benign smile.

"Do you regret it?" Shirakumo asks.

"Regret?" Midoriya shakes his head with a laugh. "I don't think I could even if I wanted to."

"Then it wasn't unnecessary," the man says simply. His eyes flicker towards the clock. "Midoriya," Shirakumo states, leaning forward, "What you said was necessary for you to hear just as much as it was for you to say it to this person. You proved something to yourself that day," he stresses, "and whatever it was, I have a feeling that it'll be indispensable to your future growth."

thirstyc4tus reblogged bootmaa Midnight0Sky Follow

There was a nearby McDonalds that caught fire today and someone took this picture of people evacuating and im GOING TO CRY

[Image ID: Picture of three teens exiting the front doors of a burning McDonald's. The two on the left both don a bored expression as the middle boy with purple hair is pictured eating out of a half- empty carton of fries. The third teen, stationed on the right, simply looks annoyed.]

THE MIDDLE GUY IS SUCH A MOOD, MY FATASS WISHES XE COULD PULL THIS OFF

boldedfont Follow

FJGDKHFLJGH HELP THE LAST PERSON LOOKS SO DONE WITH EVERYTHING LMAO

moonie-man-ta-tee Follow

is no one else gonna mention that the dude on the left is very subtly eyeing the middle guys fries?? mans was hungry

poggychamp1e Follow

ISNT THAT GREEN HAIRED GUY THE ONE WHO PLACED THIRD IN UA'S SPORTS

FESTIVAL?????????? IM SOBBING

#tag yourself im the guy in the middle #q 12,537 notes