"So, what were you doing when all this happened?"
Chieko was the curious type. She had asked them everything from the mundane, favorite color to the more complicated thoughts on what would happen to their future. But Izuku had the suspicion it was a nervous habit to fill in the dead space when she wasn't asking questions than because of her genuine want to ask them.
"Uhh...I..I was training for the U.A. Exams." He said.
Izuku did his best to answer her, but some of her questions brought up memories that he wasn't ready to bring to the surface.
"Oh you were going to apply to U.A.? What course?" She asked.
In all honesty, Izuku didn't know how to react to the girl. She was nice enough, but he didn't have that much experience talking to the opposite sex, and although he wanted to treat her no different than he would anyone else, he found every time she looked his way, his face would grow hot, and his words would stutter.
It didn't help that Kacchan seemed on edge, staring him down every time his face went red.
"The Hero Course." He replied.
"What about you Kacchan?" Chieko asked.
Izuku cringed; Kacchan didn't give him much in regards to lee-way. After the fall of their friendship as kids, it had only gotten worst over the years, excluding recent events, but if there was one thing that only Izuku could get away with its calling him Kacchan. Even all these years later, even when Kacchan had become his middle school bully, no one, and he means no one had the right to use that name.
Except for Izuku.
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Kacchan yelled.
Chieko startled, jumping forward and away from Kacchan, who had been standing right behind them. The movement caused her to run into a passing group, and she instantly apologized, although they didn't even acknowledge them as they kept moving.
She gave Kacchan the side-eye, half in a glare at scaring her and half in curiosity at his reaction. "You let Midoriya call you that."
"That's different." He muttered but didn't elaborate as he pushed past them to stay a few steps ahead of them. There was a pink tinge to his ears as he slumped forward as if to hide it. Izuku smiled at his friend; he wouldn't deny that some part of him was happy that only he had the right to use his childhood nickname. Even if their bond had been strained over the years, it was never wholly broken between them.
He had to admit Kacchan had been nicer to him, although whether it was permanent or only temporary had yet to be determined; Izuku wanted to hope this was a sign that Kacchan was turning around though.
Izuku shrugged when she looked at him for answers; there was an awkward chuckle that escaped him when she didn't let up, so he did his best to explain.
"Kacchan is my childhood friend." He said.
She didn't seem satisfied with his answer, but she didn't push any further. They had been walking for a few hours now, vigilant of their surrounding.
The destruction from the first attacks could be seen all around them, only getting worst the more they moved into the city. Holes on the side of buildings, some of them smoking from the possible fires that had been recently stopped. The streets were covered in chunks of concrete and steel beans, cars stuck in a permanent traffic jam after being abandoned.
But with all the mess it did seem the closer they got to the center of the city where the safety area was, the more things seemed to calm and pick up at the same time.
They grew quiet as the crowd of people became thicker, there wasn't as much fighting, but there were the occasional passerby that raided the shops, the owners long since giving up on saving any of their inventory.
Cliques were beginning to form as people began to huddle in groups, wary of anyone that came too close. Izuku understood why; things were up in the air, with no authority to keep society in line; anyone could do anything they wanted.
So if someone decided to attack another, who would stop them?
Even if they were civilians, the biggest threat was a desperate human trying to survive. So their small trio stuck closer together, keeping the same wary eyes back on any that noticed them.
Chieko's searched around them; arms tucked in close to herself; she was starting to slow down, making the boys have to slow down in return. Izuku considered stopping to rest, but he wasn't sure if the area was a decent place to stop. He knew they could try one of the many abandoned shops and buildings around them, but he felt wrong to be intruding on someone else's property even though these kinds of courtesies no longer apply.
Chieko picked up where she left off with her questions, although she looked distracted as if asking for the sake of asking.
"So, Bakugou was it? Were you going to the entrance Exam for U.A. too?" She glanced over at him for a second, a teasing smile on her face. "Yeah, you look like the hero type."
"Of course, I do. I was going to be the number one hero." There was an echo of Kacchan's pride, but it was only a drop of what it once was. Kaccchan didn't believe his own words anymore. In this new world, ranks like the number one hero no longer mattered.
What they needed was a Symbol of Peace.
They needed someone like All Might.
And if he felt anything like what Izuku thought at this moment, neither boy could step into that role.
Not anymore.
"You could still be number one." Her answer was meant to be reassuring, but Kacchan's gaze turned down, his blonde spikes leaving a dark cast over his eyes.
He didn't say anything in return.
Chieko lasted another hour before her breathing grew more labored, Izuku conceded. "Let's find somewhere to rest; at this pace, we won't make it before dark, and something tells me its best not to be out here after sundown.
Chieko sagged, hands resting on her knees as she tried to take in a breath. "I'm sorry...I know ... I'm slowing you down."
Izuku pulled out one of his water bottles to give to her. When she tried to chug it down, Kacchan glared at her, yanking the bottle away before she could gulp it all down.
"Slow down idiot, you'll make yourself sick drinking like that." he ordered, handing her the bottle only after she promised to slow down.
Chieko and Izuku propped themselves against the side of an emptied-out mini-mart to rest while Kacchan left to see if there was a safe place to sleep.
Chieko handed the water bottle back, and Izuku took a few sips for himself before putting away for later.
Chieko eyed his injured arm, biting the corner of her lip as she wrung her hands over and over in her lap.
"Does it hurt?" She asked.
Izuku grabbed the side of his arm; the pain had come and gone throughout the day until it became a constant deep-burning, every inch of his skin a dark purple bruise. But he didn't want her to worry.
"It's okay." He said.
Chieko opened her mouth as if she was going to say more but then closed it again. Izuku had the feeling she may try to push the topic so just in case Izuku turned the attention back on her, realizing that he didn't know much about her.
"Are you hoping to find your parents at the hospital too?" He asked.
Chieko didn't respond right away as she bent her knees up against her chest; she set her chin on her knees as she watched the different strangers that passed by them, Izuku couldn't pinpoint what about her expression was different, but it was as if a wall had been put up in that moment.
"No, I lived with my foster parents for a few years and when the attacks happened I bailed first chance I had. "she said.
"Won't they worry about you?" He asked.
She tilted her head to look at him; she was considering his question, mulling it over in her head before denying the implication with a somber smile. "They won't worry, they had already planned to leave me behind, I just made it easier for everyone by disappearing first."
The thought was sobering; Izuku had never considered that her guardians would abandon her, the idea that his mom would leave him behind, or even Kacchan's parents had they survived. No, auntie Mistuki would have dragged Kacchan kicking and screaming if she had to, so long as they stayed together.
"I'm sorry." He said. The sentiment just came out before he could stop it; even though he didn't know what he was apologizing for, it just felt right to say it at that moment.
"Don't worry about it. I can take care of myself." She said.
"Sure you can, the way you took care of creeper earlier today right." Kacchan's voice butted in, and they turned to see him walking back over to them.
"Kacchan!" Izuku's reprimand came out as more of a whine of exasperation with the other boy, but Chieko seemed to take the comment in stride.
"Wow, being an asshole just comes soo naturally to you doesn't it." She asked, a slight smirk on her face as she gazed up at him.
"Shut it, Tag-along!" He yelled.
"Ouch, you really hurt my feelings this time." She snarked back at him.
Izuku raised his uninjured hand, waiving to get their attention as the two started going back and forth. They were beginning to attract those around them, which was the last thing any of them needed.
"Come on guys..." Izuku said.
Chieko paused, realizing she was making a scene, and looked ashamed, her face going flush. Kacchan himself looked lighter for a moment like his usual self. It was endearing in its own way.
"Kacchan did you find somewhere we can stay?" He asked.
"Yeah, but we won't be alone." He said.
So there would be others camping out in the same place. There was safety in numbers, but at the same time, that only applied for those you trust, and that left Izuku uneasy. If they had to fight, would they be okay?
"Do you think it'll be safe?" He asked.
"It's just a small family they look pretty weak." Kacchan said.
Looking weak and being weak were completely different things, but Izuku didn't say anything. They needed a place to stay for the night, and they were out of options. So Izuku decided to test out the waters for himself and see if anyone posed a threat.
Kacchan led them to a small shop that had their windows boarded up, and after a few taps to the door, someone opened the front and let them inside.
The place was dark until a small flashlight came on, blinding Izuku, who lifted his arm to block some of it away from his face.
He heard something behind them as if a large object had been placed down in front of the door they had passed. Alarm bells went off in his head that their only escape had been blocked, but Kacchan voice came somewhere from his left to put him at ease.
"Don't worry they warned me they'd block the door to make sure no one else could come in during the night." He whispered.
Izuku nodded but then realized that neither of his companions could see him, so he made a sound of acknowledgment.
The figure holding the light moved around them, and he noticed how they seemed to keep a vast distance from them. He couldn't make out any details of the person as their body was cast in shadows, but as Izuku's eyes adjusted, he could make out the outline of a petite person as they started to walk away from them without a word.
" Let's go." Kacchan said.
Izuku felt someone grab his injured arm, and he bit his tongue to muffle the cry that he wanted to let out at the pain. The person pulled away, but not by much. Chieko's whispered, apologizing coming out on a loop.
"I'm so sorry Midoriya, I freaked out and forgot about your arm." She whispered.
"It's okay...just stick close so we don't get separated." He said.
Izuku felt a hesitant hand reach out and grab the corner of his shirt, as well as Kacchan's lean form looming so close against his other side that he could feel the warmth coming off him.
The person waited for them up ahead, so Midoriya followed the light source until it reflected against a flight of stairs towards the second floor above the shop.
The person continued up the stairs, and Izuku's group followed behind. He understood the lights need to be off and the sounds to be at a minimal, but the place was eerie, grating on his panic to leave and take his friends with him. He guessed he would eventually be used to never feeling safe in his surroundings.
At the top, there was a simple door, and the person knocked on the surface, a small feminine hand appearing from the shadows. She had to be at least around their age.
The door opened, and they were quickly ushered into a room lit only by candlelight.
The person they had been following came into view as she stood in front of two adults on the other end of the room.
The flashlight, now turned off, was kept pressed to her chest as a weapon or as a security blanket; Izuku wasn't sure. But even as she tried to look confident, her shoulders shook. Her short auburn hair was a mess, and although she had soot across her face, the round pinkness of her cheeks still stood out.
"My names Uchako Urakaka. These are my parents and If you try anything funny I won't hesitate to use my quirk on you." She threatened.